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Adoption and Rights of Inheritance

Posted by Nina Whitehurst | Sep 11, 2019 | 1 Comment

A question arose today in an online ask-a-lawyer forum that I monitor, so I decided to write a blog post about the subject because this does come up every so often.

The two most common questions people ask with respect to adoption and inheritance are:

  • Can an adopted child inherit from adoptive parents?
  • Can an adopted child inherit from biological parents?

Can an Adopted Child Inherit from Adoptive Parents?

In most states, adoptees have the same rights to inherit from their adoptive parents as biological children. This is true even if adoptive parents die without a will.  The adopted children will inherit the same as their biological children.  Adopted children can even contest wills the same as biological children.  For all intents and purposes, adopted children are treated the same as biological children.  This is true in the following states in which I am licensed:  Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee.

Can an Adopted Child Inherit from Biological Parents?

This is where state laws vary the most. 

The general premise is that the legal parental rights of one or both biological parents are terminated by an adoption, with the result that the adopted child no longer has a legal right to inherit from the biological parent(s) whose parental rights were terminated, unless the decree of adoption specifically provides for continuation of inheritance rights.  

That doesn't prevent a biological parent from creating a will that expressly leaves things to a biological child, but the child should be identified by name and date of birth.  Referring to "my children" will not create a right of inheritance for a child over whom parental rights were terminated by adoption.  Although an adopted child can be listed as a beneficiary in a biological parent's will, in most states he or she cannot contest the will of a biological parent that gave up his or her parental rights.

In some states an exception is made whereby a child adopted by a stepparent after his or her birth parent dies can still inherit from the deceased birth parent, as long as the deceased birth parent's parental rights had not been terminated prior to his or her death.  States that have adopted this exception include Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee.

State laws on this vary substantially, and individual circumstances can vary as well, so be sure to consult an estate lawyer if you have any questions regarding your particular circumstances.

How to Protect the Inheritance Rights of an Adopted Child

The best thing birth and adoptive parents can do to ensure the outcome they desire with respect to adopted children and inheritance rights is make a valid will that clearly specifies who is to inherit what and who is not to inherit. 

About the Author

Nina Whitehurst

Attorney at Law Nina has been practicing law for over 30 years in the areas of estate planning, real estate and business law She is currently licensed in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee. Her Martindale-Hubbell attorney rating is the highest achievable: 5 stars in peer...

Comments

Eden Reply

Posted Feb 26, 2020 at 21:05:12

Thanks to aware us regarding the all the points that you have shared with us.
I am also following this website : https://www.adoption-nsw.com for the same.

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