Colorado Adoption Laws Overview

Friday, 19 December 2008

Colorado Adoption is covered in Article 5 of Title 19 in the Colorado Revised statutes dealing with the Children's Code. There are many technicalities involved in adoption and it is very much advised that you get an attorney specializing in Colorado Adoption to ensure that all goes smoothly. Nonetheless, this article will assist you in getting some idea of what is required to both put a child up for adoption as well as how to adopt a child in accordance with Colorado Law.

Colorado Adoption is Complex

No two cases of adoption are alike, and though (or perhaps because) the Colorado Revised Statutes have provisions covering just about every conceivable case, it is very easy to get lost in the legal formalities if you don't get an attorney. When it comes to paperwork for adoption, it is most important to get everything in order so that future complications may be prevented.

Adoption Formalities in Colorado

The first requirement for adopting a child is ensuring that the child is available for adoption. This can happen only if the current parent-child relationship has been terminated. This can happen in several ways and usually requires a specific court order as well as written consent from the existing parent or guardian. There are so many special cases that it is beyond the scope of this article to enunciate all of them.

In addition, if the child is above 12 years old, their consent is necessary as well. Any person between the ages of 18 and 21 will come under the adoption laws for children and not adults.

The second step is to check whether you are qualified to adopt a person. Luckily, any person of 21 years or older can petition the court to decree an adoption. If you are married and are not legally separated, then you must petition jointly with your spouse. Any person who petitions the court for adoption is called a petitioner. Colorado Adoption laws allow even the minor child in question to be a petitioner. The petition for adoption needs to be filed in the county in which the petitioner lives.

After the court decrees that the current relationship between the parent and the child has been terminated, the child is placed in the care of the state, or in the care of a licensed placement agency. The child can also be placed with a relative. The natural parents can also indicate a specific person whom they wish to place the child with. The court assesses such persons for their ability and suitability for being adoptive parents.

Another important point is that the court places great weight on placement of siblings of the child. Colorado Law decrees that it is in the best interests of the child to be placed with his or her siblings and gives greater weight to any placement that includes all the siblings at the same time. The main focus is the well being of the child, and not that of either the natural parents or the adoptive ones.

The final adoption decree

It must be noted that adoption confers every parental right on the adoptive parents. The responsibility is just as binding as if they were the natural parents of the child. To start adoption proceedings, contact our Marrison Attorneys now.

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