2006 Code of Virginia § 63.2-1237 - Petition for parental placement adoption; jurisdiction; contents

63.2-1237. Petition for parental placement adoption; jurisdiction; contents.

Proceedings for the parental placement adoption of a minor child and for achange of name of such child shall be instituted only by petition to thecircuit court in the county or city in which the petitioner resides or in thecounty or city where a birth parent has executed a consent pursuant to 63.2-1233. Such petition may be filed by any natural person who resides inthe Commonwealth or is the adopting parent(s) of a child who was subject to aconsent proceeding held pursuant to 63.2-1233. The petition shall ask leaveto adopt a minor child not legally the petitioner's by birth and, if it is sodesired by the petitioner, also to change the name of such child. In the caseof married persons, the petition shall be the joint petition of the husbandand wife but, in the event the child to be adopted is legally the child bybirth or adoption of one of the petitioners, such petitioner shall unite inthe petition for the purpose of indicating his or her consent to the prayerthereof only. The petition shall contain a full disclosure of thecircumstances under which the child came to live, and is living, in the homeof the petitioner. Each petition for adoption shall be signed by thepetitioner as well as by counsel of record, if any. In any case in which thepetition seeks the entry of an adoption order without referral forinvestigation, the petition shall be under oath.

The petition shall state that the findings required by 63.2-1232 have beenmade and shall be accompanied by appropriate documentation supporting suchstatement, to include copies of documents executing consent and transferringcustody of the child to the prospective adoptive parents, and a copy of thereport required by 63.2-1231. The court shall not waive any of therequirements of this paragraph nor any of the requirements of 63.2-1232except as allowed pursuant to subdivision 4 of 63.2-1233.

A single petition for adoption under the provisions of this section shall besufficient for the concurrent adoption by the same petitioners of two or morechildren who have the same birth parent or parents; and nothing in thissection shall be construed as having heretofore required a separate petitionfor each of such children.

(Code 1950, 63-348; 1952, c. 550; 1954, c. 489; 1956, c. 300; 1964, c. 459;1968, c. 578, 63.1-221; 1970, c. 672; 1973, c. 406; 1975, c. 461; 1978, c.730; 1983, c. 614; 1988, c. 882; 1989, c. 647; 1991, cc. 76, 602; 1995, cc.772, 826; 2000, c. 830, 63.1-219.44; 2002, c. 747; 2006, cc. 825, 848.)