Section 8802 Of Chapter 3. Independent Adoptions From California Family Law Code >> Division 13. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 3.
8802
. (a) (1) Any of the following persons who desire to adopt a
child may, for that purpose, file an adoption request in a county
authorized by Section 8609.5:
(A) An adult who is related to the child or the child's half
sibling by blood or affinity, including all relatives whose status is
preceded by the words "step," "great," "great-great," or "grand," or
the spouse of any of these persons, even if the marriage was
terminated by death or dissolution.
(B) A person named in the will of a deceased parent as an intended
adoptive parent where the child has no other parent.
(C) A person with whom a child has been placed for adoption.
(D) (i) A legal guardian who has been the child's legal guardian
for more than one year.
(ii) If the child is alleged to have been abandoned pursuant to
Section 7822, a legal guardian who has been the child's legal
guardian for more than six months. The legal guardian may file a
petition pursuant to Section 7822 in the same court and concurrently
with a petition under this section.
(iii) However, if the parent nominated the guardian for a purpose
other than adoption for a specified time period, or if the
guardianship was established pursuant to Section 360 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, the guardianship shall have been in existence
for not less than three years.
(2) If the child has been placed for adoption, a copy of the
adoptive placement agreement shall be attached to the petition. The
court clerk shall immediately notify the department at Sacramento in
writing of the pendency of the proceeding and of any subsequent
action taken.
(3) If the petitioner has entered into a postadoption contact
agreement with the birth parent as set forth in Section 8616.5, the
agreement, signed by the participating parties, shall be attached to
and filed with the petition for adoption.
(b) The petition shall contain an allegation that the petitioners
will file promptly with the department or delegated county adoption
agency information required by the department in the investigation of
the proposed adoption. The omission of the allegation from a
petition does not affect the jurisdiction of the court to proceed or
the validity of an adoption order or other order based on the
petition.
(c) The caption of the adoption petition shall contain the names
of the petitioners, but not the child's name. The petition shall
state the child's sex and date of birth and the name the child had
before adoption.
(d) If the child is the subject of a guardianship petition, the
adoption petition shall so state and shall include the caption and
docket number or have attached a copy of the letters of the
guardianship or temporary guardianship. The petitioners shall notify
the court of any petition for guardianship or temporary guardianship
filed after the adoption petition. The guardianship proceeding shall
be consolidated with the adoption proceeding, and the consolidated
case shall be heard and decided in the court in which the adoption is
pending.
(e) The order of adoption shall contain the child's adopted name,
but not the name the child had before adoption.