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Can adopted child benefit from an estate?

A friend of mine was adopted at a very young age by her mother's new husband. Her natural father died without a will. Could my friend be a beneficiary of his estate even though she was adopted. Would appreciate any advice.

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 178,168 Community Admin
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    edited 5 November 2012 at 6:30PM
    I don't believe so, Adoption completely breaks any legal tie with the biological father
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
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    caryl2506 wrote: »
    A friend of mine was adopted at a very young age by her mother's new husband. Her natural father died without a will. Could my friend be a beneficiary of his estate even though she was adopted. Would appreciate any advice.
    No....that's the big disadvantage of adopting a child as it breaks all inheritances possibly due to the child unless mentioned in a will. However, the friend will be able to inherit from or have a claim on the estate from the mother's new husband when he passes away even if they later divorce.
    :footie:
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  • Tiglath
    Tiglath Posts: 3,816 Forumite
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    I wouldn't expect to inherit anything from my bio-parents, although I have a good relationship with my bio-Mum - she'll leave her estate to the kids that followed me, and I'm fine with it.
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  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    No, once you're adopted in or out, you become part of the new family and have no "claim connection" to the old family. To inherit the father would have had to have made a will naming her.

    If he didn't remarry/have other kids, then without a will it'd go to his parents, brothers/sisters, uncles/aunts etc - bloodlines only. Bloodline = if he had a brother, who had a wife and his brother had died, the wife wouldn't get a claim, but any kids they had would as they're blood related.
  • whitewing
    whitewing Posts: 11,852 Forumite
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    How old is the friend? If more recent, was she actually adopted or did the mum's husband get step parental responsibility ie giving him legal rights to be considered without adopting? We did this for my DH so that if anything happened to me his half-sister's dad could still have a say in where he lived etc, but didn't adopt him because his dad is still sometimes on the scene.
    :heartsmil When you find people who not only tolerate your quirks but celebrate them with glad cries of "Me too!" be sure to cherish them. Because these weirdos are your true family.
  • She was adopted at the age of 4 years old and her real father never remarried but has a sister. I presume from what you are all saying that she cannot inherit and it will all go to the sister. Thank you for all your replies and I will let her know.
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