The Florida law regarding adoption is relatively broad in that it merely states that any person can be adopted. In most instances, however, the party being adopted is a child. The law also dictates that an unmarried adult and a husband and wife acting jointly can adopt. A married person can adopt without their spouse joining in the adoption in certain situations as well.

Relative adoption is similar to other adoptions in Florida in that it creates a parent-child relationship where none previously existed and grants both the parent and child the rights that come along with that affiliation. The act of adopting a relative is typically more streamlined than the process of completing other adoptions, though. For example, relative adoptions usually do not require a home study where the court evaluates whether the petitioner’s home is an appropriate environment to raise a child. Additionally, while usually a party cannot file a petition for adoption until a court has entered a judgment or decree terminating the parental rights of the child’s parents, there is an exception for relative adoptions.

Only certain parties qualify for a relative adoption. Specifically, the law defines a relative as an individual related by blood to the third degree to the child they are adopting. Under this definition, relatives include great-grandparents, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, aunts and uncles, and siblings.