§9-301. Petition for adoption and change of name; filing fee Spouses or unmarried persons jointly or an unmarried person, whether resident or nonresident of the State, may petition the court to adopt a person, regardless of age, and to change that person’s name. The fee for filing the petition is $65 plus: [PL 2017, […]
§9-302. Consent for adoption 1. Written consent. Before an adoption is granted, written consent to the adoption must be given by: A. The adoptee, if the adoptee is 12 years of age or older; [PL 2019, c. 664, Pt. A, §1 (AMD).] B. Each of the adoptee’s living parents, except as provided in […]
§9-303. Petition 1. Sworn; contents. A petition for adoption must be sworn to by the petitioner and must include: A. The full name, age and place of residence of the petitioner and, if married, the place and date of marriage; [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. […]
§9-304. Investigation; guardian ad litem; registry 1. Background check; study and report. Upon the filing of a petition for adoption of a minor child, the court shall request a background check and shall direct the department or a licensed child-placing agency to conduct a study and make a report to the court. A. The […]
§9-305. Evidence; procedure The court may proceed as follows in considering a petition for adoption. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).] 1. Adoptee interview. The court may interview any adoptee, and shall interview an adoptee who is 12 years of age or older, outside […]
§9-306. Allowable payments; expenses 1. Allowable payments by or on behalf of petitioner. Except when one of the petitioners is a blood relative of the adoptee or the adoptee is an adult, only the following expenses may be paid by or on behalf of a petitioner in any proceeding under this Article: A. The […]
§9-307. Adoption not granted If the court determines that it is unable to finalize an adoption to which parents have consented, the court shall notify the parents that the court has not granted the adoption and shall conduct a review pursuant to section 9-205. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, […]
§9-308. Final decree; dispositional hearing; effect of adoption 1. Final decree of adoption; requirements. The court shall grant a final decree of adoption if the petitioner who filed the petition has been heard or has waived hearing and the court is satisfied from the hearing or record that: A. All necessary consents, relinquishments or […]
§9-309. Appeals 1. Appeal; bond not required of child or next friend. Any party may appeal from any order entered under this Article to the Supreme Judicial Court sitting as the Law Court, as in other civil actions, but a bond to prosecute an appeal is not required of a child or next friend and […]
§9-310. Records confidential Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as provided in Title 22, section 2768, all court records relating to an adoption decreed on or after August 8, 1953 are confidential. The court shall keep records of those adoptions segregated from all other court records. If a court determines that examination of […]
§9-311. Interstate placements 1. Certificate of compliance; bring child to this State. A person or agency who intends to bring a child to this State from another state for the purpose of adoption must provide to the court the certification of compliance as required by the department pursuant to Title 22, chapter 1153 or 1154, […]
§9-312. Foreign adoptions If an adoption in a foreign country has been finalized and the adopting parents are seeking an adoption under the laws of this State to give recognition to the foreign adoption, a court may enter a decree of adoption based solely upon a judgment of adoption in a foreign country and may […]
§9-313. Advertisement 1. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings. A. “Advertise” means to communicate by any public medium that originates within this State, including by newspaper, periodical, telephone book listing, outdoor advertising sign, radio or television, or by any computerized communication system, including by e-mail, website, Internet […]
§9-314. Immunity from liability for good faith reporting; proceedings A person, including an agent of the department, who participates in good faith in reporting violations of this Article or participates in a related child protection investigation or proceeding is immune from any criminal or civil liability for reporting or participating in the investigation or proceeding. […]
§9-315. Annulment of the adoption decree 1. Annulment; reasons and limitations. A court may, on petition filed within one year of the decree of adoption and after notice and hearing, reverse and annul an adoption decree based on findings by clear and convincing evidence that the adoption was obtained as a result of fraud, duress […]
