Printable Format59-2118. Effect of adoption; name; rights of child, parents. (a) Any person adopted as provided in K.S.A. 59-2111 through 59-2143, and amendments thereto, shall assume the surname of the petitioner or petitioners for adoption, except that the court in its discretion may permit a different surname when requested by the petitioner or petitioners. When requested by the petitioner or petitioners, the court, in its discretion, may change the given name or names of the person adopted.
(b) When adopted, a person shall be entitled to the same personal and property rights as a birth child of the adoptive parent. The adoptive parent shall be entitled to exercise all the rights of a birth parent and be subject to all the liabilities of that relationship. Upon adoption, all the rights of birth parents to the adopted person, including their right to inherit from or through the person, shall cease, except the rights of a birth parent who is the spouse of the adopting parent. An adoption shall not terminate the right of the child to inherit from or through the birth parent.
History: L. 1990, ch. 145, § 8; L. 1993, ch. 195, § 4; July 1.
Source or Prior Law:
59-2103(a), (b).
Law Review and Bar Journal References:
"Opening Minds to Open Adoption," Tammy M. Somogye, 45 K.L.R. 619 (1997).
"Refusing to Visit the Sins of the Father upon the Daughter: An Interpretation of the Kansas Slayer Statute," Anthony Martin Singer, 37 W.L.J. 229 (1997).
"Making the Most Out of the Cap: Maximizing Non-Economic Damages," Bradley J. Prochaska, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. 29, No. 6, 8 (2006).
CASE ANNOTATIONS
1. Whether adopted children have right to inherit from intestate biological parents estate examined. In re Estate of Hinderliter, 20 Kan. App. 2d 29, 30, 32, 882 P.2d 1001 (1994).
2. Natural grandparents have no visitation rights after termination of parental rights and adoption of grandchild. Sowers v. Tsamolias, 23 Kan. App. 2d 270, 273, 929 P.2d 188 (1996).
3. Adoption did not terminate right of slayer's minor child to inherit or take under grandparents' will. In re Estate of Van Der Veen, 262 Kan. 211, 935 P.2d 1042 (1997).
4. Trial court ruling approving stepparent adoption while CINC case pending upheld. In re J.A.B., 26 Kan. App. 2d 959, 964, 997 P.2d 98 (2000).
5. Cited; consensual appointment of permanent guardian under K.S.A. 38-1587 does not terminate parent's obligation to support child. State ex rel. Secretary of SRS v. Bohrer, 286 Kan. 898, 912, 189 P.3d 1157 (2008).
6. Adoptive father not legally presumed to be biological father of adopted child. In re Adoption of A.A.T., 42 Kan. App. 2d 1, 210 P.3d 640 (2009).
7. Adoption disallowed where former stepparent sought to adopt former stepchild while allowing biological parents to retain parental rights over the child. In re Adoption of I. M., 48 Kan. App. 2d 343, 288 P.3d 864 (2012).