Stepchild Adoption
If you want to adopt your stepchild or a relative in Ontario, it’s possible!
Or perhaps you are in a committed relationship and your partner has expressed interest in adopting your child?
Blended families are more the norm nowadays and many are taking the leap of having stepchildren legally adopted. Every family’s situation is unique and adoption may be top of mind. Know that certain steps need to be taken in Ontario for an adoption to be legal.
In Ontario, adoptions are legislated by the Child, Youth and Family Services Act and its purpose is to make sure the proposed adoption is in the best interests of the child. Your Family Law Lawyer at Grant Lee Law will explain this to you and will assist you in the adoption process. You must make sure you have permission from the child’s biological parent/s if they are alive. If you can’t locate them and can prove you have exhausted all efforts in doing so, you will have to request permission from the court to carry on with the adoption. You may need to consent from the child to proceed if they are between the ages of seven and eighteen. They will meet with The Office of the Children’s Lawyer where an explanation will be given to the child about what is happening regarding the proposed adoption. The child will be asked whether or not they give consent to have the adoption proceed. The process to legally adopt the child will take place through Family Court. You don’t need the services of an adoption agency but the hiring of Family Law Lawyer should take place. You may think you and your partner need to be married but that’s not necessary. You don’t have to be legally married but you should be aware that common law relationships don’t have the same status a legal marriage. Also, same-sex relationships are okay. You should be prepared to show the Family Judge a Cohabitation Agreement that spells out what will happen in a medical emergency, how assets will be divided if the relationship fails and any inheritance the child where the child is named.
With a stepchild adoption, a home study and adoption training course won’t have to take place. The stepparent who wants to adopt the child will have to file an affidavit with the court that states the intent to adopt the child. Your Family Law Lawyer at Grant Lee Law will walk you through the process as it’s moving forward in the courts. Your team at Grant Lee Law will make sure that all paperwork has been properly files with family court so there will be no unnecessary delay. They know that the adoption is very important to you and your family.
When a judge grants the adoption, it will become finalized and an Adoption Order will be issued and signed by the judge. The stepparent will now have the rights of a biological parent and the biological parent’s rights to the child is severed along with their responsibilities to the child. Your lawyer at Grant Lee Law will answer any and all questions regarding the adoption of a stepchild. The team at Grant Lee Law will use their years of experience. Contact their office by calling 905-315-6837.
