Who can ask to adopt and where to file

Any unmarried adult person, person married to the legal birthing parent or non-birthing parent of a minor child, or married couple jointly may petition the family court of the circuit in which the person or persons reside or are in military service, in which the individual to be adopted resides or was born, or in which a child placing organization approved by the department of human services under the provisions of section 346-17 having legal custody (as defined in section 571-2) of the child is located for leave to adopt an individual toward whom the person or persons do not sustain the legal relationship of parent and child and for a change of the name of the individual. When adoption is the goal of a permanent plan recommended by the department of human services and ordered pursuant to section 587A-31, the department may petition for adoption on behalf of the proposed adoptive parents. The petition shall be in a form and shall include information and exhibits as may be prescribed by the family court. [RL 1945, pt of §12271; am L 1947, c 47, §1; am L 1953, c 115, pt of §1; RL 1955, §331-1; am imp L 1965, c 232, §1; HRS §578-1; am L 1969, c 183, §2; am L 1973, c 211, §3(a); am L 1976, c 194, §1(1); am L 1992, c 190, §3; am L 2010, c 135, §4; am L 2023, c 160, §3 and c 161, §3]