Title 14 — Domestic Relations and Persons

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires: 1. "Abandon" means: a. As to a parent of a child not in the custody of that parent, failure by the noncustodial parent significantly without justifiable cause to: (1) Communicate through physical contact or oral conv…

Any individual may be adopted.

The following individuals may adopt: 1. A husband and wife together although one or both are minors. 2. An unmarried adult. 3. The unmarried father or mother of the individual to be adopted. 4. A married individual without the other spouse joining as a petitioner, if the individu…

1. Proceedings for adoption must be brought in the court for the place in which, at the time of filing or granting the petition, the petitioner, or the individual to be adopted resides or is in military service or in which the agency having the care, custody, or control of the mi…

1. Unless consent is not required under section 14-15-06, a petition to adopt a minor may be granted only if written consent to a particular adoption has been executed by: a. The mother of the minor whether by birth or adoption; b. The father of the minor, if: (1) The minor is th…

1. Consent to adoption is not required of: a. A parent who has deserted a child without affording means of identification or who has abandoned a child. b. A parent of a child in the custody of another, if the parent for a period of at least one year has failed significantly witho…

The required consent to adoption must be executed at any time after the birth of the child and in the manner following: 1. If by the individual to be adopted, in the presence of the court. 2. If by an agency, by the executive head or other authorized representative, in the presen…

1. A consent to adoption cannot be withdrawn after the entry of a decree of adoption. 2. A consent to adoption may be withdrawn before the entry of a decree of adoption if the court finds, after notice and opportunity to be heard is afforded to petitioner, the individual seeking …

1. A petition for adoption must be signed and verified by the petitioner, filed with the clerk of the court, and state: a. The date and place of birth of the individual to be adopted, if known. b. The name to be used for the individual to be adopted. c. The date petitioner acquir…

1. Except as specified in subsection 2, the petitioner in any proceeding for the adoption of a minor shall file, before the petition is heard, a full accounting report in a manner acceptable to the court of all disbursements of anything of value made or agreed to be made by or on…

1. a. After the filing of a petition to adopt a minor, the court shall fix a time and place for hearing the petition. At least twenty days before the date of hearing, notice of the filing of the petition and of the time and place of hearing must be given by the petitioner to the …

1. A final decree of adoption may not be issued and an interlocutory decree of adoption does not become final, until the minor to be adopted, other than a stepchild of the petitioner, has lived in the adoptive home: a. For at least six months after placement by an agency; b. For …

The department or child-placing agency involved in an adoption action may at any time before a final decree of adoption, if legal custody of the individual to be adopted is not held by the department, a county social service board, human service zone, a child-placing agency, or a…

1. The petitioner and the individual to be adopted shall appear at the hearing on the petition, unless the presence of either is excused by the court for good cause shown. 2. The court may continue the hearing from time to time to permit further observation, investigation, or con…

1. A final decree of adoption and an interlocutory decree of adoption which has become final, whether issued by a court of this state or of any other place, have the following effect as to matters within the jurisdiction or before a court of this state: a. Except with respect to …

1. An appeal from any final order or decree rendered under this chapter may be taken in the manner and time provided for appeal from a judgment in a civil action. 2. Subject to the disposition of an appeal, upon the expiration of one year after an adoption decree is issued the de…

1. A decree of court terminating the relationship of parent and child or establishing the relationship by adoption issued pursuant to due process of law by a court of any other jurisdiction within or outside of the United States must be recognized in this state and the rights and…

Within thirty days after an adoption decree or decree of validation of foreign adoption becomes final, the clerk of the court shall prepare an application for a birth record in the new name of the adopted individual and forward the application to the appropriate vital statistics …

1. The rights of a parent with reference to a child, including parental right to control the child or to withhold consent to an adoption, may be relinquished and the relationship of parent and child terminated in or before an adoption action as provided in this section. 2. All ri…

A parent who consents to the adoption of a minor, under section 14-15-05, is entitled to legal counsel during all stages of a proceeding to terminate the parent and child relationship under section 14-15-19 if the minor is to be placed for adoption by a child-placing agency licen…

Notwithstanding the other provisions of this chapter, the biological father of an illegitimate minor adopts and legitimates a minor by publicly acknowledging the minor as that man's child, receiving the minor into that man's home, with the consent of that man's wife, if that man …

This chapter must be so applied and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this chapter among those states which enact it.

This chapter may be cited as the Revised Uniform Adoption Act.

Any adoption or termination proceeding pending on the effective date of this chapter is not affected thereby.