Adoption and Guardianship

Adoption is the legal proceeding that terminates the parental rights of at least one biological parent and vests it in another person. In these times of marital instability, stepparent adoptions are probably the most frequent type of adoption.

Additionally, Guardianship or Conservatorship are court proceedings where an adult is found to be incompetent to make free, informed decisions about their life or property, respectively. In the right circumstances, such a person will have a guardian or conservator appointed to make such decisions on behalf of the person.