Adopting adult children: a lot more common than we think!

You act as a parent to an adult child who is not biologically yours. The biological parents have never really been part the child’s life, but you on the other hand, have been. You consider the adult child as your own, because you’ve raised, fed, sheltered and loved him or her. You would like his or her children to be recognized as your grandchildren. Did you know that if you filled the role of a parent to your child as a minor and with his or her consent, you can file for adoption.

Adopting an adult child can become really emotional. In fact, the parent who desires to adopt has always acted as such with the child and will continue to do so. The legal consequence of the judgement regarding the adoption is that it changes the name of the parents on the adopted child’s birth certificate. Thus, the children of your adopted child will become legally your grandchildren. Furthermore, the adoption procedure will allow you to leave your inheritance to your child.

In order to adopt a child of adult age, you must have acted as a parent to them, when he or she was a minor. It is imperative that the adult child consents to the adoption. In addition, the adoptive parent must be at least eighteen (18) years older than the adult child being adopted.

The adopted adult child must consent in writing, in front of two (2) witnesses, at least thirty (30) days before the judicial action of application for adoption. Thereafter, the parties must proceed to the service of the adoption application to all interested persons such as the adopter, the husband or wife of the latter, to the biological mother and father, to the “Directeur de l’État civil”, to the children of the adoptee and their siblings.

Finally, it should be noted that when the adoption application is accepted by the Court, the change is made in the birth certificate of the adopted adult child, as if the adopter had always been registered in the birth certificate of adoption.

Our team can support you in your adult child adoption procedures or with any other issue at hand. Do not hesitate to contact us to ask question and to book an appointment.

Text written by Me Marie-Josée Gingras / Translated by Andrey Leshyner