Postadoption legal issues include the right of an adult adopted person to access his or her adoption records, contact between the birth and adoptive families after the adoption has been finalized, and the inheritance rights of adopted children.
State Statutes Series
Access to Adoption Records
| Series Title | State Statutes |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 735KB) |
| Year Published | 2020 |
Discusses laws that provide for access to both nonidentifying and identifying information from an adoption record by adoptive parents and adult adoptees. Generally, the person whose information will be disclosed must consent to the disclosure, and methods of providing consent are discussed. Access to the original birth certificate by the adult adoptee also is addressed. Summaries of laws for all States and U.S. territories are included.
Intestate Inheritance Rights for Adopted Persons
| Series Title | State Statutes |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 840KB) |
| Year Published | 2016 |
Discusses the right of an adopted child to inherit from his or her adoptive parents whether or not the parent has written a will. In some States, an adopted person also may retain the right to inherit from a birth parent. The right of inheritance of an adopted child who has been omitted from a will also is discussed. Summaries of laws for all States and U.S. territories are included.
Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families
| Series Title | State Statutes |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 551KB) |
| Year Published | 2019 |
Presents State statutes on postadoption contact agreements, which are arrangements that allow contact between a child's adoptive family and members of the child's birth family. Topics covered include the contents of agreements; parties to agreements; the court's role; and enforcing, modifying, and terminating agreements.