Adoption Act
New Mexico · Children's Code · §§ 32A-5-1 to 32A-5-9 · 51 sections
Overview
The Adoption Act governs the legal process by which a child or adult becomes the child of persons who are not their biological parents, setting out who must consent to an adoption, how consents and surrenders of parental rights are executed and when they become irrevocable, and how a court reviews a petition and enters judgment. It establishes procedural machinery around those steps — a registry through which a putative father may preserve his right to notice, notice requirements, interim and standby orders, and a standard directing courts to treat the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration. It also creates a confidentiality regime for adoption records, together with a state registry and intermediary system through which adoptees, birth parents, and other eligible parties may exchange identifying information, medical and mental health histories, and obtain access to original birth records, and it provides for post-placement and post-adoption support services.
Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.
In the courts
Sections of this act have been cited in 14 court decisions.
Most-cited authority: 752 A2D 533 - Shepherd v. Clemens
Sections covered
- § 32A-5-1 NMSA 1978Short title1 cite
- § 32A-5-10 NMSA 1978Venue
- § 32A-5-11 NMSA 1978Who may be adopted; who may adopt1 cite
- § 32A-5-12 NMSA 1978Placement for adoption; restrictions; full disclosure
- § 32A-5-13 NMSA 1978Independent adoptions; request for placement; placement order; certification
- § 32A-5-14 NMSA 1978Pre-placement study
- § 32A-5-14.1 NMSA 1978Criminal history records check; background checks
- § 32A-5-15 NMSA 1978Termination of parental rights
- § 32A-5-16 NMSA 1978Termination procedures2 cites
- § 32A-5-17 NMSA 1978Persons whose consents or relinquishments are required
- § 32A-5-18 NMSA 1978Implied consent or relinquishment
- § 32A-5-19 NMSA 1978Persons whose consents or relinquishments are not required3 cites
- § 32A-5-2 NMSA 1978Purpose
- § 32A-5-20 NMSA 1978Putative father registry; notice; penalty2 cites
- § 32A-5-21 NMSA 1978Form of consent or relinquishment
- § 32A-5-22 NMSA 1978Persons required to receive counseling; content and form of counseling
- § 32A-5-23 NMSA 1978Persons who may take consents or relinquishments; accounting of disbursements
- § 32A-5-24 NMSA 1978Relinquishments to the department
- § 32A-5-25 NMSA 1978Petition; time of filing
- § 32A-5-26 NMSA 1978Petition; content
- § 32A-5-27 NMSA 1978Notice of petition; form of service; waiver
- § 32A-5-28 NMSA 1978Response to petition
- § 32A-5-29 NMSA 1978Custody pending decree
- § 32A-5-3 NMSA 1978Definitions2 cites
- § 32A-5-30 NMSA 1978Removal of adoptee from the county
- § 32A-5-31 NMSA 1978Post-placement report
- § 32A-5-3.1 NMSA 1978Applicability of terms
- § 32A-5-32 NMSA 1978Stepparent adoptions
- § 32A-5-33 NMSA 1978Appointment of guardian ad litem or attorney for the adoptee or other party
- § 32A-5-34 NMSA 1978Fees and charges; damages1 cite
- § 32A-5-35 NMSA 1978Open adoptions1 cite
- § 32A-5-36 NMSA 1978Adjudication; disposition; decree of adoption
- § 32A-5-37 NMSA 1978Status of adoptee and petitioner upon entry of decree of adoption
- § 32A-5-38 NMSA 1978Birth certificates
- § 32A-5-39 NMSA 1978Recognition of foreign decrees
- § 32A-5-39.1 NMSA 1978Application of the federal Intercountry Adoption Act
- § 32A-5-4 NMSA 1978Application of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978
- § 32A-5-40 NMSA 1978Post-decree of adoption access to records
- § 32A-5-41 NMSA 1978Appointment of confidential intermediary
- § 32A-5-42 NMSA 1978Penalties
- § 32A-5-42.1 NMSA 1978Unauthorized adoption facilitation; penalties
- § 32A-5-42.2 NMSA 1978Advertising adoption services; requirements; penalties
- § 32A-5-43 NMSA 1978Purpose of subsidized adoptions
- § 32A-5-44 NMSA 1978Eligibility for subsidized adoptions
- § 32A-5-45 NMSA 1978Administration of subsidized adoptions
- § 32A-5-46 NMSA 1978Confirmatory adoption
- § 32A-5-5 NMSA 1978Indian child placement preferences
- § 32A-5-6 NMSA 1978Authority of the department
- § 32A-5-7 NMSA 1978Clerk of the court; duties
- § 32A-5-8 NMSA 1978Confidentiality of records1 cite
- § 32A-5-9 NMSA 1978Caption
Enacted in other states
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