Adult adoption allows people over 18 to legally become part of a new family. This process creates the same legal bonds as traditional adoption but involves different requirements and legal steps.
The adoption process for adults in Florida follows specific legal steps that differ significantly from minor adoptions. We at Juliana Gaita, P.A. guide families through these requirements to achieve their adoption goals.
What Makes Adult Adoption Legal in Florida
As this comparison shows, adult adoption offers a more streamlined and cost-effective process compared to minor adoptions, making it an attractive option for many families seeking to formalize their relationships.
Primary Motivations for Adult Adoption
Most adult adoptions in Florida serve three main purposes: formalizing stepparent relationships, securing inheritance rights, and providing legal recognition for long-term caregiving arrangements. Stepparents frequently adopt adult stepchildren to eliminate the step designation and create full legal family status.
Inheritance planning drives many cases since adopted adults gain automatic inheritance rights under Florida law (bypassing complex estate planning documents). Foster parents often adopt former foster children who aged out of the system, providing permanent legal family connections that extend beyond childhood.
The following chart illustrates the three primary motivations for adult adoption in Florida:
Documentation and Court Requirements
The petition process begins when both parties file the necessary paperwork with the circuit court in the county where the adopting parent resides. Florida Statute Chapter 63 governs these procedures and outlines specific requirements for adult adoptions.
Courts will deny adoptions if the proposed relationship appears disingenuous or attempts to evade legal obligations. The next phase involves court proceedings where both parties must appear before a judge to confirm their understanding and willingness to proceed with the adoption.
How Do You File for Adult Adoption in Florida
What Legal Benefits Follow Adult Adoption
These comprehensive legal benefits demonstrate the far-reaching impact of adult adoption on an individual’s familial, financial, and medical rights. The adoption process creates a new legal family unit with all the protections and privileges that come with it.
Final Thoughts
Adult adoption in Florida provides a straightforward legal pathway for creating permanent family bonds between consenting adults. The adoption process for adults requires only basic documentation, court appearances, and approximately $3,500 in total costs while it delivers immediate inheritance rights and complete family recognition.
The streamlined requirements make adult adoption accessible compared to minor adoptions, with no home studies or extensive background checks required. Most cases complete within 2-3 months and create lasting legal relationships that protect both parties through inheritance laws and medical decision-making authority.
Legal guidance remains important throughout the process to handle proper documentation, court filings, and notification requirements (especially for biological parent notifications). We at Juliana Gaita, P.A. help families navigate Florida’s adoption laws and complete all necessary procedures correctly.
Adults who consider adoption should evaluate their motivations, understand the permanent nature of severed biological relationships, and prepare required documentation. Boca Raton adoption attorneys can provide detailed guidance about specific circumstances and legal requirements that apply to individual cases. The process transforms legal relationships permanently and creates new family structures that courts recognize fully under Florida law.
