Relative Adoption

There is a special section of Georgia law that concerns the adoption of children by an individual or individuals who are related to the child or children. According to this section of Georgia law:

“a child who has any living parent or guardian may be adopted by a relative who is related by blood or marriage to the child as a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, great aunt, great uncle, or sibling only if each such living parent and each such guardian has voluntarily and in writing surrendered to that relative and any spouse of such relative all of his or her rights to the child for the purpose of enabling that relative and any such spouse to adopt the child. In the case of a child 14 years of age or older, the written consent of the child to his adoption must be given and acknowledged in the presence of the court.”

O.C.G.A. § 19-8-7 (a) and (b). Similar to with third party adoptions, the biological parents must execute surrenders of parental rights in order to effectuate the adoption. O.C.G.A. § 19-8-7 (c), (d) and (e).