WATCH: Does the adoptive parent have the same parental rights as the birth parent during and after divorce?

Nissa M. Ricafort answers:

A spouse who adopts the other spouse’s biological child during a marriage obtains the same parental rights to the child as the biological parent. This means that both parents are viewed in the eyes of the law as having equal parenting rights to the child. For all intents and purposes, the child is viewed as the child of both parents and the child has the right to be cared for and supported by both parents and to inherit from both parents. After the adoption, there is no distinction between the parents as both are viewed as the lawful parents of the child.

Nissa M. Ricafort is one of the three founding partners of Broyles Kight & Ricafort, P.C. As an experienced Indianapolis family law attorney, Nissa has assisted families through difficult transitions, including high-conflict custody proceedings, international custody disputes, complicated marital estate divisions, child support disputes, and paternity matters. View their firm’s Divorce Magazine online profile.