Adoption is a legal process. It should not also be a mystery.

Usually not. In California, the court must review a written investigative report, but no home study is required unless the court orders one; where the child was born during the marriage or domestic partnership, even the investigation is not required unless ordered for good cause (Cal. Fam. Code §§ 9001, 9000.5). Background checks are usually still required.

Consent is not always the only route. Where a parent has abandoned the child, failed to support or contact them for the statutory period, or has had their rights terminated, the court can proceed without consent. That is a contested proceeding with its own evidence and notice requirements, and the standard in California is clear and convincing evidence (Cal. Fam. Code § 7821).

California sets both when a consent may be signed and whether it may be revoked. The current rule is 30 days from signing, after which the consent becomes permanent — unless the birth parent signs a waiver of that right before an agency representative, or before a judicial officer or adoption service provider while represented by independent counsel, in which case it is final at once (Cal. Fam. Code § 8814.5). In an agency adoption, a relinquishment becomes final 10 business days after the Department of Social Services receives it (Cal. Fam. Code § 8700). This is the single most important date in a private adoption, and we confirm it in writing to every client at the outset.

The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children governs any placement of a child across state lines. If the child is born in one state and the adoptive family lives in another, the child cannot travel home until both states approve. Expect 7–14 business days of waiting, usually near the sending state.

Yes. After the decree, California vital records issues an amended certificate naming the adoptive parents. The original is sealed, subject to California’s access rules: the original records are released only by order of the superior court on good and compelling cause; a petition by an adult adoptee is given great weight, but the decision remains the court’s (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 102705). We file the paperwork for you.

Possibly. Children adopted from foster care often qualify for an adoption assistance subsidy and continued medical coverage. There is also a federal adoption tax credit, and California offers an adoption costs credit of 50% of qualifying costs, up to $2,500 per child, for adopting a child from the custody of a California public agency (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 17052.25). We are not tax advisers, but we will point you to what exists and coordinate with your accountant.