There are some people who decide they don’t ever want to get married, but they’re committed to their partners. While that’s completely up to that couple, it can be more complicated if they choose to adopt.
Single people can adopt, and so can married couples. What about unmarried couples, though? While they’re allowed to adopt, there are some additional hoops they may have to jump through. In your case, if you’d like to adopt but are not married, you should consider a co-parent or second-parent adoption.
What is the importance of a co-parent or second-parent adoption?
In a co-parent or second-parent adoption, the child is protected by giving the second parent legal custody over them. For example, if you adopt a child as a single woman, your partner, whether male or female, will also need to adopt the child separately to be able to have the legal right to the child in the case of a separation.
Adoption isn’t an easy process, and it can be harder when you’re not married. If you and your partner don’t want to get married, then your options are to go with a single-parent adoption or to seek a second-parent adoption. While a single-parent adoption is the easiest adoption to take part in at first, the second-parent adoption is one of the few ways to make sure the second partner has a legal right to the child in question.
Our site has more on second-parent adoptions and why they’re so important for people who are cohabitating but who don’t plan on getting married to adopt.