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HomeFamily CodeDiv. 13Pt. 2Ch. 1§ 8610 Adoption Expense Disclosure Report

§ 8610 Adoption Expense Disclosure Report

Family Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8610 Adoption Expense Disclosure Report

Key Takeaways

  • •If you want to adopt a child, you must tell the court every single thing you paid for related to the adoption, like doctor visits, hospital bills, or money given to the birth parents.
  • •You have to list who got the money, how much, and when—no hiding anything. This list must be sworn to be true, like promising in court.
  • •This rule doesn’t apply if you’re a stepparent adopting your spouse’s child and the other parent is still taking care of the kid.

Example

A couple wants to adopt a baby and pays the birth mother $5,000 for her medical bills, $2,000 to an adoption agency, and $1,000 to a lawyer.

Before the adoption is final, the couple must give the court a detailed list of all these payments, including who got the money and when. If they don’t, they could get in trouble for lying to the court.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8610 Adoption Expense Disclosure Report

(a) The petitioners in a proceeding for adoption of a child shall file with the court a full accounting report of all disbursements of anything of value made or agreed to be made by them or on their behalf in connection with the birth of the child, the placement of the child with the petitioners, any medical or hospital care received by the child’s birth mother or by the child in connection with the child’s birth, any other expenses of either birth parent, or the adoption. The accounting report shall be made under penalty of perjury and shall be submitted to the court on or before the date set for the hearing on the adoption petition, unless the court grants an extension of time. (b) The accounting report shall be itemized in detail and shall show the services relating to the adoption or to the placement of the child for adoption that were received by the petitioners, by either birth parent, or by the child. The report shall also include the dates of each payment, the names and addresses of each attorney, physician and surgeon, hospital, licensed adoption agency, or any other person or organization that received payment. (c) This section does not apply to an adoption by a stepparent if at least one legal parent retains custody and control of the child. (Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 192, Sec. 2. (SB 138) Effective September 13, 2023.)

Last verified: January 21, 2026

Key Terms

accounting reportdisbursementsadoptionstepparent adoption

Related Statutes

  • § 8602 Child Adoption Consent Requirement
  • § 8613 Military Adoption Representation
  • § 8624 Adoption Agency Legal Remedies
  • § 8625 Adoption Facilitator Public Notice
  • § 9306 Parental Rights Termination After Adoption

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 8610.
View Official Source