Can You Adopt an Adult? The Honest Answer and Your Options

By Iblal IqbalPublished 17 September 2026Last reviewed 17 September 202612 mins read13 sections

Part of: Adoption orders

You cannot adopt an adult in England and Wales. The person must be under 18 on the day the adoption application goes in, and no court can make the order once they turn 19 (Adoption and Children Act 2002, s.49(4)). That is hard news if you raised a stepchild who has always felt like yours. Can you be adopted as an adult by the person who raised you? Again, no. Our adoption orders guide covers children; this page covers your options.

This guide covers England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own adoption rules (GOV.UK).

Reviewed by: Hannah Overton, Complex Children Specialist & Client Support, Kabir Family Law

Can you adopt an adult in the UK?

Not in England and Wales. The adoption rules only work for children: the person must be under 18 when you apply, and must never have married or formed a civil partnership (s.47(8) and (8A)).

The rule is the same for a step-parent, grandparent, aunt or foster carer, however strong the bond. There is no separate process to adopt an adult here, and no court form for one. Assume there is a way round it, and you can lose months chasing a route that never ends in an order.

Why would you want to adopt an adult?

Usually because the relationship already exists and the paperwork never caught up. Perhaps you married their mum when they were four and walked them down the aisle. Perhaps you are the aunt who took them in, or the foster carer they still ring every Sunday. Now you both want the law to say what your family already knows, whether for inheritance, a shared name or simply to be recognised.

Two assumptions cause the most harm: that a will is not needed “because everyone knows”, and that a new surname changes the legal position. Both are wrong, and the gap shows after a death, when nobody can put it right.

When is it too late for an adoption to start?

The law sets two strict age limits. You must apply while the person is still 17 or younger (s.49(4)), and the court cannot make an adoption order once they turn 19 (s.47(9)). A case started in time can carry on past 18 (s.49(5)).

So the real question is “can we get a valid application in before 18?” The court weighs the child’s wishes in the light of their age and understanding (s.1), so a 17-year-old belongs in the plan from day one. And there is no second chance: nothing in section 49 lets the court waive the age limit.

Can a step-parent adopt an adult stepchild?

No. Once your stepchild turns 18, adoption is off the table, even if you have been their parent in every way that matters. At 16 or 17 there may still be a narrow window.

In law you are “the partner of a parent”. You must be at least 21, and can apply alone while your partner stays a legal parent (s.51(2)). Each parent with parental responsibility must consent. If one does not, the court can only go ahead without them if they cannot be found or lack capacity, or if the child’s welfare requires it (s.52(1)).

It is also a bigger step than families expect. An adoption order ends the other birth parent’s parental responsibility (s.46(2)), and in law your stepchild stops being that parent’s child altogether (s.67(3)(a)). That touches their identity, their place in that side of the family and what they inherit.

For younger children, our guide to step-parent adoption vs special guardianship compares the two routes, and our page on step-parent responsibility explains a lighter option, which also ends at 18 (Children Act 1989, s.91(7) and (8)). If the other parent objects, the court must decide whether to dispense with their consent, and at 17 there is little time to spare.

Hoping to adopt before they become an adult? What must happen first

At 16 or 17, this is the order things must happen in. It is an outline, not a how-to: each step has its own traps.

1. Six months under your roof. Your stepchild must have lived with you for at least six months before you apply (s.42(3)).
2. Notice to the council. Tell your local council you intend to adopt at least three months, and no more than two years, before you apply (s.44(3)).
3. The council’s investigation. A social worker reports to the court, including on the other birth parent (s.44(5); GOV.UK).
4. Consent, or a reason to go ahead without it. Each parent with parental responsibility agrees, or the court dispenses with their consent (s.47(2), s.52).
5. The application, before the 18th birthday. Your stepchild must still be 17 or younger (s.49(4)).
6. The order, before the 19th birthday. After that, the court cannot make it (s.47(9)).

Work backwards and the real deadline arrives much sooner. Notice must go in at least three months before the application, so once your stepchild is 17 years and 9 months old, it is too late to give it. Any hold-up, such as a dispute over consent, eats into what is left.

If your stepchild has already turned 17, book a free initial consultation now. One of our specialists will give you initial advice on whether there is still time, and what else could work.

What are the alternatives to adult adoption in the UK?

Nothing does everything an adoption order does. If you are looking into UK adult adoption, weigh these steps instead. Each has limits.

If the bond is biological, such as a father who was never named, the court can instead declare whether a named person is their parent (Family Law Act 1986, s.55A). Relying on a route that cannot do the job can leave the person you meant to protect with nothing.

Will an adult you never adopted inherit from you?

Not automatically. Without a will, the intestacy rules decide who inherits, and GOV.UK’s intestacy tool counts legally adopted children but not stepchildren (GOV.UK). An unmarried partner has no automatic right to inherit either.

A will is the main answer. You must be 18 or over to make one, and sign it in front of two witnesses for it to be valid (GOV.UK). Getting married cancels any will you made before, and GOV.UK suggests advice where children from another marriage may make a claim (GOV.UK).

If there is no will, or it leaves them out, a stepchild may still have a claim. The law lets someone the person who died treated as a “child of the family” ask the court for reasonable financial provision (Inheritance Act 1975, s.1(1)(d)). That is a claim, not a right, and it can divide a grieving family.

Can a name change do what adopting an adult would?

No, although sharing your surname can mean a lot. Anyone 16 or over can make their own deed poll, and adults can enrol it with the High Court as a public record (GOV.UK).

But a deed poll only changes a name. It gives no right to inherit, because only an adoption order makes someone the child of the person who adopts them (s.67(1)). Under 18, stricter rules apply: see our guide to changing a child’s name. A shared name alone will not stop the intestacy rules leaving an adult stepchild out.

Can you adopt an adult abroad and have it recognised here?

Some countries do allow adult adoption. In Germany, for example, a family court can declare the adoption of an adult where a genuine parent-child bond already exists (German public service guidance).

That does not mean it works here. Under the 2002 Act, an “overseas adoption” means the adoption of a child, or of someone who was a child when the adoption was applied for (s.87(6)). An adult adoption made abroad falls outside that definition, so the Act’s recognition route does not cover it. Whether it counts any other way is a specialist question with inheritance at stake. This guide does not cover immigration. For children, start with our guide to adopting a child.

Want to adopt an adult you helped raise? Check where you stand

This quick check is not a legal test, and it cannot tell you whether any step will work.

Frequently asked questions

General information about the law in England and Wales, not advice on your circumstances.

Expert Tip

Families often come to us in the year a stepchild turns 18, when the window has almost closed. If your stepchild is 16, start the conversation now, because the council needs notice months before any application. If they are already an adult, make sure your will reflects the family you actually have. The law will not fill that gap for you.

Iblal Iqbal, Partner & Family Law Strategist