{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-48-2-605","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 48-2-605","heading":"Hearing on petition to adopt an adult.","body":"(a)\tAt the hearing on a petition to adopt an adult, the prospective adoptive parent and the adoptee shall both appear in person, unless the court waives this requirement for cause, in which event an appearance may be made for either or both of them by an attorney authorized in writing to make the appearance.\n(b)\tAt the hearing, the court shall grant the petition for adoption upon finding by a preponderance of the evidence all of the following:\n(1)\tAt least 30 days have elapsed since the filing of the petition for adoption, but the court for cause may waive this requirement;\n(2)\tNotice of the petition has been served on any person entitled to receive notice under Part 4 of this Article;\n(3)\tEach necessary consent, waiver, document, or judicial order has been obtained and filed with the court;\n(4)\tThe adoption is entered into freely and without duress or undue influence for the purpose of creating the relation of parent and child between each petitioner and the adoptee, and each petitioner and the adoptee understand the consequences of the adoption; and\n(5)\tThere has been substantial compliance with the provisions of this Chapter. (1967, c. 880, s. 3; 1969, c. 21, ss. 3-6; 1971, c. 1231, s. 1; 1973, c. 849, s. 3; 1975, c. 91; 1981, c. 657; 1989, c. 208; c. 727, s. 219(4); 1993, c. 553, s. 14; 1995, c. 457, s. 2.)","path":["Chapter 48. Adoptions.","Article 2. General Adoption Procedure.","Part 6. Dispositional Hearing; Decree of Adoption."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_48/GS_48-2-605.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T18:04:02Z","sha256":"2ff3e12085413c6c969ac4f233280411e1601a69dfc544a8b903dd6943594810","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-48-2-604","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-48-2-606"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}