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HRS §560:2-124

When an adoption is treated as completed after a parent dies

This section says that a child being adopted is legally treated as the adoptive parent's child. If the adoptive parent dies before the adoption is final, the child is still treated as adopted in certain situations, like when the other parent finishes the adoption or the birth parent outlives the dead parent by a short time.

childrendomestic partnersparentsspouses

The statute, as written — Adoptee and adoptee's adoptive parent or parents

A parent-child relationship shall be deemed to exist between an adoptee and the adoptee's adoptive parent or parents. For purposes of this section: (1) An individual who is in the process of being adopted by a married couple or reciprocal beneficiaries when one of the spouses or reciprocal beneficiaries dies shall be treated as adopted by the deceased spouse or reciprocal beneficiary if the adoption is subsequently granted to the decedent's surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary; and (2) A child of a genetic parent who is in the process of being adopted by a genetic parent's spouse or reciprocal beneficiary when the spouse or reciprocal beneficiary dies shall be treated as adopted by the deceased spouse or reciprocal beneficiary if the genetic parent survives the deceased spouse or reciprocal beneficiary by one hundred twenty hours; provided that a child shall be treated as adopted by a deceased spouse or reciprocal beneficiary for the purposes of this paragraph if, after a parent-child relationship is established between a child of assisted reproduction and a parent under section 560:2-126, or between a gestational child and a parent under section 560:2-127, the child is in the process of being adopted by the parent's spouse or reciprocal beneficiary when the spouse or reciprocal beneficiary dies.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§560:2-126 Parentage for children conceived with assisted reproduction

§560:2-127 Who is the parent when a surrogate gives birth

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.