LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeFamily CodeDiv. 13Pt. 3Ch. 3§ 9340 Adoption Relationship Termination

§ 9340 Adoption Relationship Termination

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

§ 9340 Adoption Relationship Termination

Key Takeaways

  • •If you were adopted, you can ask a court to end the parent-child relationship with your adoptive parent.
  • •You have to tell your adoptive parent in writing before asking the court.
  • •If your adoptive parent agrees in writing, the court can end the relationship without a hearing.
  • •If your adoptive parent doesn’t agree, they have 30 days to respond, and then there will be a court hearing.

Example

A 20-year-old who was adopted as a child no longer wants their adoptive parent to have legal rights over them.

They can write a letter to their adoptive parent saying they want to end the relationship. If the parent signs a paper agreeing, a judge can make it official without a big court fight. If the parent doesn’t agree, they have 30 days to say why, and then a judge will decide after a hearing.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 9340 Adoption Relationship Termination

(a) Any person who has been adopted under this part may, upon written notice to the adoptive parent, file a petition to terminate the relationship of parent and child. The petition shall state the name and address of the petitioner, the name and address of the adoptive parent, the date and place of the adoption, and the circumstances upon which the petition is based. (b) If the adoptive parent consents in writing to the termination, an order terminating the relationship of parent and child may be issued by the court without further notice. (c) If the adoptive parent does not consent in writing to the termination, a written response shall be filed within 30 days of the date of mailing of the notice, and the matter shall be set for hearing. The court may require an investigation by the county probation officer or the department. (Enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. Operative January 1, 1994.)

Last verified: January 21, 2026

Key Terms

petition to terminateadoptive parentwritten noticeconsent in writingtermination orderwritten responsehearing

Related Statutes

  • § 1836 Hearing Notice And Citation
  • § 1838 Marriage Reconciliation Hearings
  • § 20032 Support Hearing Deadlines
  • § 20034 Attorney-Mediator Support Disputes
  • § 7572 Parentage Declaration Materials

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 9340.
View Official Source