Opinion ID: 1207086
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the statutory preclusion of post-adoption visitation

Text: AS 25.23.130(a) provides that a final decree of adoption has the effect of terminating all legal relationships between the adopted person and the natural parents and other relatives of the adopted person. [4] This statute clearly provides, however harshly, that the final decree has the effect of making an adopted child a stranger to former relatives. The only exception set forth by the legislature is a provision allowing the court to provide for continuation of inheritance rights. Some courts have decided that adoption does not necessarily preclude granting biological relatives a right to continued visitation. Futral v. Henry, 45 Ala.App. 214, 228 So.2d 827 (1969); Mimkon v. Ford, 66 N.J. 426, 332 A.2d 199 (1975); People ex rel. Sibley v. Sheppard, 54 N.Y.2d 320, 445 N.Y.S.2d 420, 429 N.E.2d 1049 (1981); Graziano v. Davis, 50 Ohio App.2d 83, 361 N.E.2d 525 (1976). However, other courts find, as we do today, that the clear language of the applicable adoption statute precludes granting post-adoption visitation to any blood relative, regardless of that relative's bond with the adopted child. Poe v. Case, 263 Ark. 488, 565 S.W.2d 612 (Ark. 1978); Matter of Adoption of Gardiner, 287 N.W.2d 555 (Iowa 1980); Browning v. Tarwater, 215 Kan. 501, 524 P.2d 1135 (1974); Bikos v. Nobliski, 88 Mich. App. 157, 276 N.W.2d 541 (1979); Acker v. Barnes, 33 N.C. App. 750, 236 S.E.2d 715 (1977) cert. denied, 293 N.C. 360, 238 S.E.2d 149 (1977). A representative decision rejecting post-adoption visitation for biological relatives is Browning v. Tarwater, 215 Kan. 501, 524 P.2d 1135 (1974). In that case an adopted child's natural paternal grandmother sought visitation rights after the child was adopted by his stepfather. [5] She argued that she should be allowed post-adoption visitation because Kansas law does provide for grandparental visitation in custody cases. [6] The Kansas Supreme Court ruled against the grandmother explaining as follows: The adoption of a child creates a status  the domestic relation of parent and child... . It is elementary law that the aim and end of adoption statutes is the welfare of children. The theory of the adoption statute is that such welfare will be best promoted by giving an adopted child the status of a natural child... . Public policy demands that an adoption carry with it a complete breaking of old ties... . Where the adoption statute, as here, gives the adopted child the status of a natural child and frees the natural parents of legal obligations toward it, a court in granting an adoption decree is without authority to include in the adoption decree a grant of visitation privileges to the natural parent or members of the natural parent's family. 524 P.2d at 1139 (citations omitted; emphasis omitted). Some courts favor approaching the issue of post-adoption visitation with biological relatives on a case-by-case basis. See, e.g., Mimkon v. Ford, 66 N.J. 426, 332 A.2d 199 (1975). They reason that since the policy justification for terminating all of an adopted child's ties to his biological family applies only to certain types of adoption, courts should have authority to order post-adoption visitation with a natural relative in special cases in which it would be appropriate. [7] However, in order to allow post-adoption visitation, we would have to conclude that the more recent grandparents' visitation statute in the divorce/custody area, AS 25.24.150(a), was intended by the legislature to liberalize the strict adoption statute, AS 25.23.130. [8] Both the adoption statute and the visitation statute applicable to divorce cases are concerned with the best interests of children. It may well be that in certain situations post-adoption visitation would be in the best interest of older children who have developed a demonstrable bond with a biological relative. [9] However, we cannot conclude that the grandparents' visitation statute applicable to divorce-related custody cases was intended to indirectly liberalize the strictly worded adoption statute to allow post-adoption visitation rights for biological relatives. Therefore, despite the possible drawbacks of the legislature's approach, we decide that the statute precludes the post-adoption visitation rights granted to the grandparents by the superior court. [10]