have any financial obligations to the child. For an adoption, the biological parents must
consent to the adoption in writing or must have their rights terminated by a court. There is a
separate process for Termination of Parental Rights, which must be completed prior to an
adoption if there is no consent.
There are many steps to a non-relative adoption, and you will need an attorney to guide you
through these steps and ensure the adoption is completed as soon as possible. All adoptions
require a hearing before the Judge, and this is one of the best reasons to have to go to Court.
Stepparent adoption is a slightly easier process. In this case, the stepparent’s spouse (parent
of child) and stepparent file the Petition together. The other parent must consent to the
adoption, or a Termination of Parental Rights must be completed prior. If not, it will require
litigation. When a parent’s rights are terminated, they no longer have a child support
obligation. Children over age 14 must consent to the adoption and the child’s name can be
changed through the adoption.
Nevada also permits adult adoption. For an adult adoption, the person adopting the adult
must be older than the person being adopted. In addition, if any party to the adoption is
married, their spouse must consent to the adoption. There is no need for biological parents
to consent to an adult adoption, but the Judge may require you to provide notice to the parents
of the adoption hearing.
Marathon Law Group has successfully litigated many terminations and adoptions in the
District Court, Appellate Court, and Nevada Supreme Court.