Massachusetts Adoption Laws Page1

Adoption Laws in Massachusetts Page1

About adoption consent

• For whom it is must to consent to adoption : Statute : Ch. 210 - § 2
  • Parents may be previous adoptive parents, they lawful parent .
  • If a child is born out of wedlock that time birth mother must consent .
  • The child's spouse .
  • A surviving parent .

• Age required of an adoptee to consent of adoptee: Statute : Ch. 210 - § 2
  • Children 12 years of age or older may not be adopted without their own consent.

• No need of parental consent: Statute: Ch. 210 - § 3
  • The child is age 18 years or above .
  • The court tries to determine child's best interest.
  • The child has been subjected to abuse or neglect.
  • The parent has been convicted of murder, and the victim was sibling of the child or the other parent .
  • If a child has been in foster care for latest 15 months out of the total 22 .

• Execution of consent: Statute : Ch. 210 - § 2
  • Only 4 days after the birth of a child, written consent can be executed and not before that.

• Consent execution is must: Statute : Ch. 210 - § 2
  • Consent is executed before a notary public and requires 2 competent witnesses.

• Consent revocation : Statute : Ch. 210 - § 2
  • Consent forms and Sample surrender are found in the statute.
  • Cannot be revoked, Consent to adoption, executed according to statutory provision, is final.