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Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 15A, § 4-102

Legal consequences of adoption of stepchild

Added 1995, No. 161 (Adj

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the legal consequences of an adoption of a stepchild by a stepparent are the same as under sections 1-103 through 1-106 of this title.

(b) An adoption by a stepparent does not affect:

(1) the legal relationship between the adoptee and the adoptee’s parent who is the adoptive stepparent’s spouse or deceased spouse;

(2) the right of the adoptee or a descendant of the adoptee to inheritance or intestate succession through or from the adoptee’s former parent; or

(3) an existing court order for visitation or communication with a minor adoptee by a person related to the adoptee through the parent who is the adoptive stepparent’s spouse or deceased spouse; or

(4) a court order or agreement for visitation or communication with a minor adoptee approved by the court pursuant to section 4-112 of this title.

(c) Failure to comply with an agreement or order for visitation or communication is not a ground for challenging the validity of an adoption by a stepparent.

Official source: Vermont General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain Vermont statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.