The word “adoption” usually conjures images of children finding their forever homes. But Florida law also allows adults to be adopted. Upon completion of the adoption process, the adoptee gains inheritance rights, access to benefits, and legal recognition as the child of the adoptive parent. Additionally, adult adoption can facilitate important legal matters, such as healthcare decision-making, financial planning, and eligibility for insurance coverage. The adoption can offer peace of mind to aging individuals and their caregivers, ensuring that their wishes and interests are protected.

Adult adoptions powerfully symbolize the love, commitment, and solidarity of the parent-child relationship and can provide reassurance during significant life events. In one  of the firm’s first adult adoptions,  the adoptive parent held his granddaughter in his arms as he formalized his commitment to the now-adult child he had parented for decades. These have been some of the sweetest, most meaningful cases we have handled.

Adult adoptions are even simpler than stepparent and relative adoptions. Your attorney should be specialized in adoption, however, so they can efficiently handle any complications that may arise. For example, some adult adoptions involve navigating previous terminations of parental rights, legal competency issues, inheritance and trust fund matters, the consent of spouses and parents, or previous court cases and birth certificates in other state jurisdictions.