How does adoption work in California?

Choosing to adopt is life-changing and can create strong bonds, legally and emotionally, between a parent and his or her non-biological child. Adoption can grant the child new opportunities and provide a loving, stable home. But the adoption process is anything but simple. Because the child’s adoptive parents are granted all the legal rights and responsibilities that a birth family would have, many steps must be taken to ensure all ends are tied up successfully. As with other legal processes, papers must be gathered and properly filed with the courts, papers must be served to the birth parents, consent must be given, a court date is set and a hearing is scheduled. Adoption is a long and arduous process, but can provide a lifetime of happiness for both the child and his or her adoptive parents.