adoption

Adoption is the process whereby a person legally becomes a part of a family which is not their birth family.  There are several types of adoption, including,  stepparent adoption, adult adoption, and relative adoption.  In order for an adoption to take place, the birth parent(s)' rights must first be relinquished either voluntarily (through waiver) or involuntarily (through termination).  When filing for adoption, if the parent(s)' rights have not already been relinquished, you will also need to file for termination of parental rights.