§ 15-7-17. Rights of natural parents terminated — Inheritance by child from natural parents.
The parents of the child shall be deprived, by the decree, of all legal rights respecting the child, and the child shall be freed from all obligations of maintenance and obedience respecting his or her natural parents except that the granting of the petition for adoption will not deprive an adopted child of the right to inherit from and through his or her natural parents in the same manner as all other natural children; provided, that the right to inherit from and through natural parents of an adopted child born out of wedlock shall be as provided in § 33-1-8; and provided, further, that the decree of adoption shall in no way affect all legal rights of a natural parent respecting the child and all obligations of the child of maintenance and obedience respecting a natural parent if the natural parent is legally married to the adopting parent at the time of the decree of adoption. Notwithstanding the rights of an adopted child to inherit from or through his or her natural parents as provided in this section, or as provided in § 33-1-8, any administrator, executor or trustee who without knowledge of said adopted child, otherwise carries out the administrators, executors, or trustees lawful responsibility shall not be liable to the adopted child for any damages resulting therefrom.
History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 192, § 7; G.L. 1909, ch. 244, § 7; G.L. 1923, ch. 288, § 7; G.L. 1938, ch. 420, § 7; G.L., ch. 420, § 9; P.L. 1955, ch. 3483, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 15-7-17; P.L. 1965, ch. 92, § 1; P.L. 1970, ch. 132, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 164, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 195, § 1.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 15-7 - Adoption of Children
Section 15-7-2. - Report, investigation, and hearing on placement of child for adoption.
Section 15-7-2.1. - Pre-adoption report on child placed for adoption.
Section 15-7-3. - Report, investigation, and hearing on child brought into state for adoption.
Section 15-7-4. - Petition to adopt — Court having jurisdiction.
Section 15-7-5. - Consent required.
Section 15-7-5.1. - Contact preference form information.
Section 15-7-6. - Waiver of parents’ right to consent — Guardianship of agency.
Section 15-7-7. - Termination of parental rights.
Section 15-7-7.1. - Court proceedings.
Section 15-7-7.2. - Mediation of termination of parental rights.
Section 15-7-9. - Notice to parent whose whereabouts unknown.
Section 15-7-10. - Consent of minor parents.
Section 15-7-11. - Investigation and report as to adoptive home.
Section 15-7-12. - Trial period of residence.
Section 15-7-13. - Consideration of religion of child or parents.
Section 15-7-14. - Decree of adoption.
Section 15-7-14.1. - Decree of open adoption.
Section 15-7-15. - Decree of change of name.
Section 15-7-16. - Inheritance by and from adoptive kindred.
Section 15-7-17. - Rights of natural parents terminated — Inheritance by child from natural parents.
Section 15-7-18. - Denial of petition — Order as to custody of child.
Section 15-7-19. - Appeal from the family court.
Section 15-7-20. - Jurisdiction of child pending appeal.
Section 15-7-21.1. - Challenge to decree.
Section 15-7-22. - Penalty for violations or false statements.
Section 15-7-23. - Complaints.
Section 15-7-24. - Attendance at hearing.