Adoption Of Child Cases

Adoption is a legal process for making a child a permanent member of a family other than the child's birth family. In order to formalize an adoption, the adoptive family must make its way through the legal process in a family court, under the jurisdiction of a court of law in the state where the adoption occurs.

Every state maintains a court system in which different courts are designated to hear specific types of cases. That designation is what is meant by the term "jurisdiction." For example, criminal cases will be tried in a state criminal court. Adoption is a civil procedure, and at the state court level, certain civil courts are given jurisdiction over adoption cases. A person who seeks to adopt a child must file their petition for adoption with the appropriate court.