Adopting Civil Partner's baby

[Starberries]

Partner and I have been in a civil partnership since last August. We are going to be TTC in March of this year. What are the laws/procedures regarding me adopting the baby? I wish as the CP I would just get automatically granted parental right!

Thanks in advance

[GoldenGreen]

You will get automatic rights & will be able to be named on birth certificate if the baby is conceived through a clinic - the laws have changed. If your situation is different, there's loads of good advice to be had on the Rainbow Families section of gingerbeer.co.uk if you need it. Good luck with TTC!

[Starberries]

Thanks Golden! We're not going through a clinic but a private donor instead, any idea of the procedure that way?

[GoldenGreen]

no idea I'm afraid but there's a lawyer called Natalie Gamble who goes onto both Rainbow Families and Fertility Friends and is an expert in this sort of stuff...really recommend you get her advice

[activate]

If you're adopting the birth parent will have to relinquish parental rights and adopt too

I'm sure I read about that once.

[GoldenGreen]

no longer the case, activate - don't know much but I do know that one - dp about to adopt our ds & I don't need to reliinquish rights.

[activate]

oh that's good GoldenGreen because that was by far the most screwed up legal crap I'd ever read about (well not the most, but up there)

[mariasue1]

starberries - I'm sure there is all the up-to-date info covered on one the previous discussions in the gay parents talk topics - go through them I'm sure you'll find it I can remember reading it and it is very up to date - may be a few months ago

[Starberries]

Thanks very much all of you! Lenin, how do we go about the Parental Responsibility bit? Who do we approach/forms/etc?

We can't wait

[Starberries]

Assume birth mother goes in the 'mother' bit and I'm to fill out the 'father' section?

[ellabella2]

Sorry to jump in on this thread but I'm a bit confused.

I've just been reading the 'Pregnant Pause' document by Stonewall and it seems to be saying in there that as long as you are in a CP and conceived after April 6th 2009 both mothers get named on the birth certificate and automatically get legal parent and parental responsibility status. Regardless of whether you conceive via a clinic or at home.

I might have got this wrong and don't want to muddy the waters but wouldn't it be great if it is the case .

[Goalie]

I'm going through a step parent adoption at the moment with our DS and my CP and we are also trying for #2, so we've talked to our solicitor about the adoption procedure for any future children. As you will concieve after the law changed (April 2009) (and I'm presuming you're not going via the boy-jiggy route), then you can both be named on the birth certificate. You do not need to be registered with a clinic - home DIY is also viewed as AI. Best of luck with TTC

[Dorchies]

The change in the law is making me think we should have another child! We're just going through our second adoption, and although it's not been a problem, it's just such a hassel and so unfair we have to do it!

Isn't it great though that in the UK there can be two women's names on a birth certificate - what amazing progress in the past few years!

[Starberries]

Oooh thanks for all this info. Donor coming 15 March can't believe it's all finally happening after putting it off for nearly a year! Thank you so much Lenin and the others for hunting down all this stuff, brilliant that we don't have to fill anything out per se (I'm rubbish at that ).