Adoption & guardianship

Two routes, two very different results

An adoption under the Adoption Act 1952 (non-Muslims) is a High Court process that ends with the child treated in law as born to the adopters — a new birth certificate, full succession rights, the complete package. The Registration of Adoptions Act 1952 route through JPN is administrative and simpler, but creates a registered adoption with materially weaker legal effects, particularly for inheritance. Families are often steered to the registration route for speed without being told the difference; we tell you.

How a court adoption runs

The child must generally have been in your continuous care for at least three months and notice given to the welfare department; a guardian ad litem is appointed to report to the court; consents (or dispensation of consent) are dealt with; and the order follows if the court is satisfied it serves the child. Expect the whole arc to take six to twelve months, mostly in the care-period and reporting stages.

Muslim families

The Adoption Act does not apply to Muslims; adoption in the Islamic framework does not sever the birth lineage. Muslim families formalise care through registration and guardianship mechanisms, and questions of nasab, wali and inheritance need syariah-literate planning — which is exactly what having Nadira in the building is for.

Guardianship — the unsung workhorse

Grandparents raising grandchildren, aunts raising nieces, parents planning who steps in if they are gone — guardianship orders under the Guardianship of Infants Act 1961 give lawful authority for schooling, medical consent and travel that informal care never quite has. It is quieter than adoption, and often exactly enough.

How it runs

What it costs

Plus disbursements and 8% SST — itemised in writing before we start. Full list on the fees page.