Q: My goddaughter which is 24 years old wants us to be her parents on her birth certificate and change her name to ours.
She has been our child for years already be provide for her but she was adopted from the state when she was 4 years old and now she doesn’t want them as her parents on her birth certificate. Can we just put a petition in to have everything change on her birth certificate or do we have to go though the full adoption process
A: If you want her to inherit from you as being your own child, an adoption is the way to go. If you do not want to adopt, then you would need to meet with a probate attorney and make sure that all your advance directive documents, Wills, conveyance documents, etc. (whatever is needed to accomplish your goals) would need to be prepared while you and your spouse are of a sound mind. An adoption is the safest way to go if you want her to avoid legal challenges after your death.
A: I agree with my colleagues. The adoption is going to be the best route to take if you’d like to ensure she inherits everything. You should work with an attorney who can help you with the proper course of action for the adoption.
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