Apply for adoption of an adult

Procedure

You must submit the required documents and the applications (adopter and adoptee) in writing to the locally competent family court. You can also commission a notary public with the submission.

The court will then check whether all the necessary requirements for an adoption have been met, such as:

• what the relationship is to the person to be adopted
• whether the adoption is morally justified
• whether the adopter has reached the minimum age required for an adoption (completion of the 21st or 25th year of life)
• whether there is a sufficient age difference to the adopter
• whether overriding interests of third parties oppose the adoption
• for example, the natural children of the adopter or the adoptee or the parents of the adoptee.

For this purpose, the court hears, among others, the parties involved and, if necessary, other persons.

If the requirements for an adult adoption are met, the court pronounces the adoption of the adult by means of an order.

Legal bases

• §§ 186 bis 199 Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG)
• §§ 1767 bis 1772 Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB)