Can Adopted Child Inherit Property?

An adopted child generally has the same legal rights as a biological child when it comes to inheritance, under most legal frameworks. However, the rights of an adopted child to inherit property can sometimes vary depending on the jurisdiction and the laws governing adoption and inheritance. In many countries, adopted children are legally considered the same as biological children for the purpose of inheritance, which means they are entitled to inherit from their adoptive parents just like biological children would.

Legal Rights of an Adopted Child to Inherit Property:

Adopted Child as Legal Heir:

Under most legal systems, an adopted child becomes the legal heir of the adoptive parents upon the completion of the adoption process. This means that the child inherits the property, assets, and rights of the adoptive parents just as a biological child would.

Once the adoption is finalized, the adopted child has the same inheritance rights as biological children, including the right to inherit property from the adoptive parents in case of their death.

Inheritance Under a Will:

If the adoptive parent has created a will, they can name their adopted child as a beneficiary of the property, just as they would for their biological children. The adopted child is fully entitled to inherit property or assets according to the instructions in the will.

The adopted child’s inheritance rights are unaffected by the fact that they are adopted.

Intestate Succession:

If a person dies intestate (without a will), the adopted child will generally be treated the same as a biological child under intestate succession laws. In such cases, the adopted child will be entitled to a share of the deceased parent’s property, just as a biological child would.

Inheritance will be determined by the laws of succession in the relevant jurisdiction, and the adopted child will inherit along with any biological children or legal heirs.

Adoption and Biological Parent’s Rights:

In cases of adoption, the adopted child may lose inheritance rights from their biological parents (unless there is a provision for inheritance under the biological parent’s will or through legal agreements).

In some jurisdictions, the adopted child may have limited or no rights to inherit from the biological parents once they are legally adopted by another family.

However, this can vary depending on the type of adoption (e.g., open vs. closed adoption) and the legal provisions in place.

Equal Treatment Under Succession Laws:

In countries with progressive adoption laws, an adopted child is considered equal to biological children in matters of succession. The legal framework is designed to ensure that adopted children are not discriminated against when it comes to inheriting property, whether there is a will or the estate is distributed under intestate succession laws.

For instance, in India, under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA), an adopted child is entitled to inherit the same share of property as a biological child.

Inheritance from Other Relatives:

Once an adopted child is legally accepted into the family, they may also inherit from other family members of the adoptive parents, such as grandparents or uncles/aunts.

In some cases, adopted children may also inherit from relatives of the biological parents if stipulated by the will or under intestate succession laws.

Example:

Let’s consider the case of Mr. X, who adopts a child, A, after their biological parents are no longer in the picture.

Mr. X creates a will, leaving his house and assets to his adopted child, A.

When Mr. X passes away, A inherits the house and all the assets as specified in the will, despite not being a biological child of Mr. X.

If Mr. X had died intestate, A would still inherit a share of the property, just as Mr. X’s biological children would have, according to the intestate succession laws.

Key Points to Remember:

• An adopted child has the same inheritance rights as a biological child after the adoption process is legally completed.
• An adopted child can inherit property under a will or through intestate succession if there is no will.
• In some jurisdictions, adoption may sever the child’s inheritance rights from their biological parents, but they gain inheritance rights from their adoptive parents.
• The adoptive parents can name their adopted children as beneficiaries in their will and ensure they inherit property just like biological children.
• Inheritance rights of an adopted child may vary if the adoption is not fully recognized by law (e.g., in cases of informal or incomplete adoptions).