http://resources.lawinfo.com/en/Legal-FAQs/Adoption/Federal/index.html LawInfo - Legal Resource Center offers free legal forms and free legal documents that is designed to help consumers and businesses resolve their legal issues http://resources.lawinfo.com/en/Legal-FAQs/Adoption/Federal/who-may-adopt.html Any adult living in California may file a petition to adopt a child who is at least ten years younger than the petitioner.  Married couples are most likely to apply to become adoptive parents, although single and divorced individuals are not prohibited from adopting in California.  There is no particular age, housing situation, social background, or income level that makes certain people more qualified than others to be adoptive parents, although some applicants may be required to provide additional information to an agency; i.e. working parents would be required to confirm how child care will be provided in their absence. Tue, 29 May 2007 21:19:00 GMT http://resources.lawinfo.com/en/Legal-FAQs/Adoption/Federal/what-is-adoption.html Adoption is the legal process by which a person becomes a lawful member of a family different from their birth family.  Once a final order of adoption has been ruled by a court of law, the adoptive parents gain the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them; subsequently, an adopted child gains the same rights as birth children in regard to inheritance, child support, and other legal matters.  In most U.S. jurisdictions, at the time the adoption is finalized, the adopted child's name is legally changed, and the court orders the issuance of a new, amended birth certificate. Adoption FAQs Tue, 29 May 2007 21:19:00 GMT http://resources.lawinfo.com/en/Legal-FAQs/Adoption-Law/Federal/index.html Free Adoption Law FAQs Adoption Sub-categories Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:10:32 GMT