Adult adoption

[balia]

DD (22) has said she wants to ask DH, her stepdad of 14 years, to legally adopt her. She says she has started looking into it and as she is estranged from her real dad she wouldn't need to involve him in the process. I wondered if anyone knew anything about the process or had done it? I'm really touched by it; DH has been there for her and thinks of her as his daughter, but I've never heard of it before and I'm not sure what's involved.

Oh I'll be interested in the answer. DH looked in to it as his Dad has been in his life since 18 months old & he's had no contact with his biological father since he was 12 months old. However I'm sure when he asked a solicitor they said it's not possible to adopt an adult (assuming you're in the UK).

It's not possible to legally adopt anyone over the age of 18 unfortunately. Is there something you can do informally though, like a party if she changes her name to her step dad's? Sorry if that's a silly idea. I've got 2 adopted children and it was things like that that made it seem real to them, more than the actual paperwork.

Ah thank you This DH looked in to it quite a few years ago so I wondered if the law had changed too lazy to google. Good idea about the surname change! DH has used his dads since primary school & changed it by deed poll at 18 I think.

As pps have said, you can't adopt anyone over 18 (and I doubt that, in practice, it would happen over 16).

Your DD can easily change her name by way of a Change of Name Deed which doesn't even need to be registered centrally any more.