Legal Definitions - adopt

Adopt has two primary meanings in a legal and formal context:

• First, it means to formally accept, choose to implement, or take on something, such as a new policy, a legal standard, or a particular approach. This involves a deliberate decision to incorporate or apply a specific idea, plan, or rule.
• Second, and more specifically, it refers to the legal process by which an individual or couple becomes the legal parent(s) of a child who is not their biological offspring. This process establishes all the rights, responsibilities, and legal ties of a biological parent-child relationship.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of adopt:

• Imagine a city council holding a public meeting to discuss a proposal for a new recycling program. After reviewing public feedback and expert recommendations, the council votes to adopt the new program, meaning they formally approve and commit to implementing it across the city.

  This example demonstrates the first meaning, where a governing body formally accepts and decides to implement a new plan or policy.

• Consider a situation where a state legislature is debating a bill that would require all new public buildings to meet specific energy efficiency standards. After passing the bill, the state would officially adopt these new building codes, making them legally binding for future construction projects.

  Here, "adopt" refers to the formal acceptance and establishment of a new law or regulation that will be applied.

• A couple who has been fostering a child for several years decides they want to make the child a permanent part of their family. They work with a social worker and the courts to complete the legal process to adopt the child, thereby becoming the child's legal parents with all parental rights and responsibilities.

  This illustrates the second, specific meaning of "adopt," which is the legal formation of a parent-child relationship.