Adoption and the Law
Adoption is the legal process by which a child becomes a full and permanent member of a new family. All parental rights and responsibilities are transferred to the adoptive parents.
In Scotland, the law on adoption is currently governed by the Adoption Scotland Act 1978. This has been replaced by the new Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 which is due to be implemented in late 2008/early 2009.
Currently, a birth parent must either agree to the granting of an adoption order or his or her agreement be dispensed with via a legal process.
The Child must live with the petitioners for a minimum of 13 weeks before an adoption order can be granted. The birth parent must either agree to the freeing application on his or her agreement be dispensed with via a legal process. This can be a lengthy process if birth parents contest the adoption petition.
Back to the Adopting in Aberdeen home page.
