Understanding Adult Adoption: What It Is and When It Makes Sense
James Greenberg

When most people hear the word “adoption,” they think about welcoming a child into a family. But adoption isn’t only for minors. Adult adoption is a meaningful legal process that helps solidify lifelong family relationships, provide emotional security, and ensure important legal protections well into adulthood.

What Is Adult Adoption?

Adult adoption is the formal legal process of one adult adopting another adult—typically someone 18 years or older. Once completed, the adoptive parent and adoptive adult child share the same legal rights and responsibilities as any parent-child relationship under state law.

This can include:

  • Inheritance rights and estate planning benefits
  • Legal recognition of a long-standing parental role
  • Simplified next-of-kin status for medical or legal decisions
  • A sense of emotional belonging and family unity

When Is Adult Adoption Typically Done?

Families choose adult adoption for many personal and practical reasons. Some of the most common include:

  • Stepparent or blended families: A stepparent who helped raise a child may formalize the relationship once the child becomes an adult, especially if the other biological parent does not consent.
  • Foster or kinship relationships: Adults who grew up with supportive caregivers—such as foster parents, relatives, or close family friends—may choose to legally recognize the relationship later in life.
  • Inheritance and estate planning: Adult adoption can ensure that a loved one is legally protected and eligible to inherit without complications.
  • Emotional closure and connection: Some families pursue adoption to honor a lifelong bond or to create a sense of belonging that was missing earlier in life.
  • Reconnecting after reunification: In some cases, biological families who reunite later in life may choose adult adoption to formalize their relationship.

How Greenberg & Greenberg Can Help

At Greenberg & Greenberg, we understand that family is defined by love, commitment, and connection—not just DNA. As adoptive parents ourselves and as experienced New York and New Jersey adoption attorneys, we bring compassion and clarity to every step of the adult adoption process.

Our team assists with:

  • Preparing and filing all necessary court documents
  • Navigating state-specific requirements in New York and New Jersey
  • Coordinating court hearings and legal procedures
  • Ensuring your adoption is finalized smoothly and securely

If you’re considering adult adoption—whether to honor a lifelong relationship, secure legal protections, or strengthen your family’s future—we’re here to guide you. With decades of experience and over 6,000 families helped, our firm is dedicated to helping families of all kinds grow and thrive.

Greenberg & Greenberg is proud to support families across New York and New Jersey with compassionate, knowledgeable adult adoption services.

Ready to learn more? Reach out anytime—we’d be honored to help you take this meaningful next step.