How do I adopt an adult in Maine?

You can adopt an adult in Maine by filing a petition in the Probate Court. Maine allows a petition "to adopt a person, regardless of age," and sets no relationship, disability, or age-gap condition (18-C M.R.S. § 9-301).

Who can be adopted: Any person, regardless of age. The law does not require that you be related, that you have lived together, or that the adoptee have a disability. If you have questions about a specific situation, the Probate Court clerk or an attorney can answer them.

Who can adopt: Spouses or unmarried persons may petition jointly, or an unmarried person may petition alone (18-C M.R.S. § 9-301). If you are married, you petition jointly with your spouse. The statute does not state a minimum age for the adopter or an age gap between adopter and adoptee. Ask the clerk if that matters in your case.

Consent:

• The adoptee must consent, as required for anyone age 12 or older (18-C M.R.S. § 9-302).
• The adoptee's parents do not need to consent when the adoptee is 18 or older (18-C M.R.S. § 9-302(1)(A), (2)(E)).
• The consent sections do not mention the adoptee's spouse. If the adoptee is married, confirm with the clerk or an attorney how that is handled.

Residency: Maine has no residency requirement. A petitioner may be a resident or nonresident of the State (18-C M.R.S. § 9-301). When no agency placed the adoptee, the petition goes to the county where the adoptee or the petitioners live (18-C M.R.S. § 9-104(2)). Maine has 16 counties, each with its own Probate Court.

Home study: Not required for an adult. The study, report, and background-check requirements apply to the adoption of a minor child (18-C M.R.S. § 9-304(1)).

The court and hearing: The Probate Court has exclusive jurisdiction over adoption petitions, subject to District Court jurisdiction in child-protection matters (18-C M.R.S. § 9-103). The decree is granted if the petitioner has been heard or has waived a hearing (18-C M.R.S. § 9-308(1)), so a hearing can be waived. Whether your judge schedules one is something the clerk can tell you.

Steps:

• Confirm the adoptee is willing to consent and, if you are married, that your spouse will join the petition.
• Prepare the petition and the adoptee's consent for the Probate Court in the right county.
• File with the clerk. Ask the clerk about the current filing fee, since the fee is set by the court.
• Attend a hearing if the court sets one, or have it waived as the statute permits.
• Receive the decree. For questions about updating records afterward, contact the Maine Office of Vital Records.

Timeline: Adult adoptions in Maine commonly take about 4-8 weeks.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county. You file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for one adult adoptee, and your court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. We have helped 151 Maine families, and our work is backed by a 100% court acceptance guarantee.