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garykat · Jun 8, 2009, 05:43 AM

I am a step father to a 19 year old girl. I am married to her mother. I would like to adopt her and she wants to be adopted. She is American and has lived here in the UK for 5 years. She hasn't seen her real father since she has lived here, in fact she has only spoken to him on the computed a few times. He has nothing to do with her life at all.

Do we have to have permission from Katie's real father before I can adopt her or is this something she can do, as she is an adult now, on her own will?

Many thanks for your time

J_9 · Jun 8, 2009, 05:47 AM

She is an adult now, so she can change her name to yours legally if she so wishes. Adoption is not necessary at her age.

ScottGem · Jun 8, 2009, 05:49 AM

Contact a solicitor. While adoption is not necessary to change her name, there may be reasons to formally adopt (citizenship, inheritance, etc.).

A solicitor can tell you what the rules are for your area.

susangpyp · Jun 8, 2009, 05:52 AM

I do not know UK law but in the US adults can be adopted by other adults for purposes of severing ties (inheritance, rights to guardianship of children) with the biological parents and giving the new parents those legal rights. A friend of mine was legally adopted by her friend's parents after she had her first child (in her late 20s) so that if something happened to her her biological mother (whom she did not get along) would have no rights to her child if something happened to her. She probably could have achieved the same thing with a will but she did not trust her bio mom and wanted the ties legally severed.

I don't know why you want to adopt an adult child unless it's just for name purposes, she can change it without a full adoption.

garykat · Jun 8, 2009, 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by susangpyp

I do not know UK law but in the US adults can be adopted by other adults for purposes of severing ties (inheritance, rights to guardianship of children) with the biological parents and giving the new parents those legal rights. A friend of mine was legally adopted by her friend's parents after she had her first child (in her late 20s) so that if something happened to her her biological mother (whom she did not get along) would have no rights to her child if something happened to her. She probably could have achieved the same thing with a will but she did not trust her bio mom and wanted the ties legally severed.

I don't know why you want to adopt an adult child unless it's just for name purposes, she can change it without a full adoption.

Susan thank you for your response. The reason why I want to adopt Katie is so she can have the same name as my family and feel more of a family member and also so she can get her equal share in the inheritance.