Section 5-3B-05 – Paternity
(a) Unless a court excludes a man as the father of a child, a man is the father if: (1) the man was married to the child’s mother at the time of the child’s conception; (2) the man was married to the child’s mother at the time of the child’s birth; (3) the man is named as the father […]
Section 5-3B-23 – Custody
A court may not grant a petition under § 5-3B-22 of this subtitle solely because a parent: (1) does not have legal custody of a prospective adoptee by reason of a divorce or legal separation; or (2) has been deprived of custody of a prospective adoptee by an act of the other parent.
Section 5-3B-06 – Appointed Counsel
(a) (1) In a case under this subtitle, a court shall appoint an attorney to represent a parent who: (i) has a disability that makes the parent incapable of effectively participating in the case; or (ii) when the parent must decide whether to consent to adoption, is still a minor. (2) To determine whether a disability makes a parent incapable […]
Section 5-3B-24 – Accounting
(a) This section does not apply to an adoption by the spouse of the prospective adoptee’s parent or a relative of the prospective adoptee. (b) A court may not enter an order under this subtitle until the petitioner files with the court an accounting of all payments and disbursements of any item of value made by or […]
Section 5-3A-34 – Considerations
(a) In ruling on a petition for a child’s adoption under this Part III of this subtitle, a court shall consider: (1) all factors necessary to determine the child’s best interests; and (2) the report required under § 5-3A-31 of this subtitle. (b) In ruling on an adoption petition under this Part III of this subtitle, a court may […]
Section 5-3A-35 – Authority to Grant Adoption
(a) A court may enter an order for a child’s adoption under this subtitle only if: (1) the child placement agency consents; and (2) for a child who is at least 10 years old, the child consents. (b) (1) (i) In this subsection, “disability” means: 1. a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of an individual’s major life […]
Section 5-3A-36 – Order for Adoption
(a) (1) This subsection does not limit the right of an individual to provide for distribution of property by will. (2) Except as provided in § 2-123 of the Real Property Article, after a court enters an order for adoption under this subtitle: (i) the adoptee: 1. is the child of the adoptive parent for all intents and purposes; and […]
Section 5-3A-37 – Petition to Invalidate
If a petition to invalidate an order for adoption under this subtitle on the basis of a jurisdictional or procedural defect is filed more than 1 year after entry of the order, a court shall dismiss the petition.
Section 5-3A-39 – Medical and Mental Health Information
(a) A child placement agency shall make reasonable efforts to compile and make available to a prospective adoptive parent: (1) all of the prospective adoptee’s medical and mental health records that the agency has; or (2) a comprehensive medical and mental health history of the prospective adoptee. (b) On request of a prospective adoptive parent, a child placement agency […]
Section 5-3A-40 – Court and Agency Records
(a) (1) (i) On request of an adoptee or adoptive or former parent of an adoptee and without a showing of a need, a child placement agency shall provide information, other than identifying information, in its adoption record on the adoptee. (ii) If a child placement agency denies a request under this paragraph, then on petition of an adoptee […]