Should you as a parent of a child provide the necessary consent for your child to be legally adopted by another person, your duty to maintain the child automatically ceases together with your rights and responsibilities towards the child, unless you are the spouse of the adopting step-parent and the biological parent of the child.

Consent must be obtained from the child’s biological parents in writing and children with the intellectual and/or maturity level may also have a “say” in the adoption process even though they are younger than 18 years old.

People seeking to adopt should be fit and proper people to do so. Single parents may also adopt should they wish to do so. The adopting parent(s) should be ready and prepared to take upon the rights and responsibilities of being a full-time parent, and also have the financial means to see through such an application as there are certain costs involved, including those of the agency.

A Court order will be granted in that regard should such an application be granted.