A. Yes. Even if all parties are in complete agreement, the adoption must be finalized by a judge. However, because the child is already living with one biological parent, the required background checks and home studies are often much more streamlined than in other types of adoptions.

A. It depends on their age. In New York and many other states, if the child being adopted is over a certain age (usually 14), they must formally give their consent to the court for the adoption to move forward.

A. Yes. Adult adoptions are entirely legal and are often done to formalize a long-standing parent-child relationship or for inheritance purposes. This process is generally much simpler because it typically only requires the consent of the adopting parent and the adult being adopted, without the need to terminate the biological parents' rights.