West Virginia Code
Article 22. Adoption
§48-22-501. Filing of Petition for Adoption

The petition for adoption may be filed at any time after the child who is the subject of the adoption is born, the adoptive placement determined and all consents or relinquishments that can be obtained have been executed. The hearing on the petition may be held only after the child has lived with the adoptive parent or parents for a period of six months, proper notice of the petition has been given and all necessary consents or relinquishments have been executed and submitted or the rights of all nonconsenting birth parents have otherwise been terminated.

Structure West Virginia Code

West Virginia Code

Chapter 48. Domestic Relations

Article 22. Adoption

§48-22-101. Applicability of Definitions

§48-22-102. Abandonment Defined

§48-22-103. Adoptive Parents, Adoptive Mother or Adoptive Father Defined

§48-22-104. Agency Defined

§48-22-105. Birth Father Defined

§48-22-106. Birth Mother Defined

§48-22-107. Birth Parents Defined

§48-22-108. Consent Defined

§48-22-109. Determined Father Defined

§48-22-110. Legal Father Defined

§48-22-111. Marital Child Defined

§48-22-112. Nonmarital Child Defined

§48-22-113. Outsider Father Defined

§48-22-114. Putative Father Defined

§48-22-115. Relinquishment Defined

§48-22-116. Stepparent Adoption Defined

§48-22-117. Unknown Father Defined

§48-22-201. Persons Who May Petition for Decree of Adoption

§48-22-301. Persons Whose Consent or Relinquishment Is Required; Exceptions

§48-22-302. Timing and Execution of Consent or Relinquishment

§48-22-303. Content of Consent or Relinquishment

§48-22-304. Consent or Relinquishment by Infants

§48-22-305. Revocation of Consent or Relinquishment for Adoption

§48-22-306. Conduct Presumptively Constituting Abandonment

§48-22-401. Delivery of Child for Adoption; Written Recital of Circumstances

§48-22-501. Filing of Petition for Adoption

§48-22-502. Petition and Appendix

§48-22-601. Who Shall Receive Notice

§48-22-602. How Notice Is to Be Served

§48-22-603. Notice to an Unknown Father

§48-22-701. Proceedings

§48-22-702. Recordation of Order; Fees; Disposition of Records; Names of Adopting Parents and Persons Previously Entitled to Parental Rights Not to Be Disclosed; Disclosure of Identifying and Nonidentifying Information; Certificate for State Registra...

§48-22-703. Effect of Order as to Relations of Parents and Child and as to Rights of Inheritance; Intestacy of Adopted Child

§48-22-704. Finality of Order; Challenges to Order of Adoption

§48-22-801. Adoption of Adults

§48-22-802. Contracts Limiting or Restraining Adoptions

§48-22-901. Recognition of Foreign Adoption Decree

§48-22-902. Filing of Petition for Recognition of Foreign Adoption Decree

§48-22-903. Proceedings for Recognition of Foreign Adoption Decree