Adoption permanently changes legal parent-child relationships and is handled through the Supreme Court (Family Division). The route and required consents depend on the type of adoption, the child's circumstances and the legal status of parents or guardians.
Sources checked September 29, 2026.
Consent
Adoption commonly requires legally valid consent from people whose parental status gives them consent rights.
- parental consent
- timing and form
- withdrawal or validity
Dispensing with consent
A court can be asked in specified circumstances to proceed without a required consent.
- missing parent
- incapacity or death
- contested request
Types of adoption
Different procedures can apply to agency, step-parent, relative, adult or intercountry adoption.
- step-parent adoption
- agency adoption
- intercountry adoption
Adoption order
The court determines whether the statutory requirements for the adoption are met.
- Supreme Court Family Division
- best interests
- legal parentage after adoption
Records and information
Access to adoption information and records is governed by separate statutory and administrative frameworks.
- birth registration
- adoption records
- post-adoption information