The Vermont Statutes Online
The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 15A : Adoption Act
Chapter 005 : Adoption of Adults and Emancipated Minors
(Cite as: 15A V.S.A. § 5-105)-
§ 5-105. Petition for adoption
(a) A prospective adoptive parent and an adoptee under this article shall jointly file a petition for adoption.
(b) The petition shall be signed and verified by each petitioner and state:
(1) the full name, date of birth, and place and duration of residence of each petitioner;
(2) the current marital status of each petitioner, including the date and place of marriage, if married;
(3) the full name by which the adoptee is to be known if the petition is granted;
(4) the duration and nature of the relationship between the prospective adoptive parent and the adoptee;
(5) that the prospective adoptive parent and the adoptee desire to assume the legal relationship of parent and child and to have all of the rights and be subject to all of the duties of that relationship;
(6) that the adoptee understands that a consequence of the adoption will be to terminate the adoptee’s relationship as the child of an existing parent, but if the adoptive parent is the adoptee’s stepparent, the adoption will not affect the adoptee’s relationship with a parent who is the stepparent’s spouse, but will terminate the adoptee’s relationship to the adoptee’s other parent, except for the right to inherit from or through that parent;
(7) that the adoptee and the prospective adoptive parent understand the consequences the adoption may have for any right of inheritance, property, or support each person has;
(8) the name and last known address of any other person whose consent is required;
(9) the name, age, and last known address of any child of the prospective adoptive parent, including a child previously adopted by the prospective adoptive parent or his or her spouse, and the date and place of the adoption; and
(10) the name, age, and last known address of any living parent or child of the adoptee.
(c) The petitioners shall attach to the petition:
(1) a certified copy of the birth certificate or other evidence of the date and place of birth of the adoptee and the prospective adoptive parent, if available; and
(2) any required consent that has been executed. (Added 1995, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2009, No. 3, § 12a, eff. Sept. 1, 2009.)
