Adoption Consent Form - Preparation Worksheet - Rhode Island

RHODE ISLAND ADOPTION CONSENT PREPARATION COMPANION

Minor Child — Family Court Form FC-47

This companion helps collect information for the consent portion of current Rhode Island Family Court Form FC-47. It is not a private adoption contract, does not itself terminate parental rights, and should not replace the court's current form.

1. CASE-TYPE GATE

Complete one:

• ☐ Standard adoption of a child under eighteen: use current Family Court Form FC-47 and this companion.
• ☐ Confirmatory adoption after assisted reproduction: stop and use Family Court Form FC-95 and R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-27.
• ☐ Adoption of a person eighteen or older: stop; § 15-7-4(d) places adult-adoption petitions in the petitioners' local probate court.
• ☐ A parent will not consent, cannot be located, or may have had rights terminated: stop and obtain case-specific counsel and court directions. A private signature packet cannot replace the procedures in chapter 15-7.

Current official form checked: FC-47 revised September 2025

Attorney confirmed correct case type: ☐ Yes

2. CORE CONSENT RULES

• Under § 15-7-5(a), the child's parents or surviving parent generally must consent in writing or the petition is dismissed, subject to the statute's substitute-consent and court-determined exceptions.
• If neither parent is living, § 15-7-5(a) identifies who may consent or be appointed to act for the child.
• A child who is fourteen years old or older must consent under § 15-7-5(a). Current Form FC-47 includes a separate witnessed child-consent line.
• If a consenting parent is under eighteen, § 15-7-10 requires the consent of one of that minor parent's parents, guardian, or guardian ad litem, subject to the court procedure stated in that section.
• A refusal by a noncustodial parent in a stepparent or qualifying grandparent adoption is a court issue under § 15-7-5(b); do not treat refusal as waived by this form.

3. FC-47 INFORMATION WORKSHEET

3.1 Court Identifiers

3.2 Petitioner One

3.3 Petitioner Two, If Any

3.4 Child

3.5 Parents, Guardians, or Other Persons Listed on FC-47

3.6 Attorney

3.7 Statutory Basis Stated on FC-47

G.L. 1956 section: [________________________________]

Why the adoption is appropriate under that section:

[____________________________________________________________]

[____________________________________________________________]

4. CONSENT-STATUS REVIEW

For every person whose consent may be required, complete a row.

• ☐ Counsel confirmed whether notice, service, DCYF, agency, interstate-placement, or other proceedings are required.
• ☐ Counsel confirmed that no signature is being used to bypass a contested-consent or termination proceeding.
• ☐ The signer had an opportunity to obtain independent legal advice.
• ☐ The signer understands that adoption effects arise through the court process and decree, not through a private contract with the petitioners.

5. FC-47 CONSENT LANGUAGE AND SIGNATURE PREPARATION

Current FC-47 states:

The undersigned parent(s) or guardian(s), [NAMES], of the child agree to the adoption.

Transfer the final names and signatures to the current court form unless the Family Court directs that a separate attachment be used.

If the child is fourteen or older, current FC-47 also requires the child's agreement:

Current FC-47 uses witnessed signature lines. Do not add a notary requirement or rely on an electronic signature unless the Family Court or current rules expressly authorize that method for the filing.

6. EFFECT OF DECREE AND CHALLENGE TIMING

• Under § 15-7-14, legal parent-child status is created by the adoption decree after investigation and hearing findings.
• Under § 15-7-17, the decree deprives the natural parents of legal rights respecting the child, subject to the statute's inheritance and stepparent exceptions.
• Do not insert a generic consent-revocation period. Section 15-7-21.1 instead sets a 180-day outside period for a challenge to an adoption decree or an order terminating a parent's right to consent; a timely challenge is denied unless the court makes the finding required by that section.

7. OPTIONAL POST-ADOPTION PRIVILEGES

Complete only with counsel when § 15-7-14.1 applies.

• ☐ No post-adoption privileges agreement is requested.
• ☐ The birth and adoptive parents will jointly negotiate a separate agreement for court approval and filing.
• ☐ The required agency, DCYF, CASA, or guardian-ad-litem recommendation has been addressed.
• ☐ Consent of a child age twelve or older has been obtained.
• ☐ The agreement states that the adoption remains irrevocable even if the agreement is not followed.
• ☐ The parties understand that § 15-7-14.1 permits enforcement or modification but no monetary damages and does not permit revocation of the adoption decree for noncompliance.

8. FINAL REVIEW

• ☐ Used the latest official FC-47 rather than treating this companion as a standalone consent.
• ☐ Confirmed every required parent, guardian, substitute decision-maker, and child signature.
• ☐ Confirmed the special rule for any minor parent.
• ☐ Removed private-contract terms concerning consideration, default, fee shifting, specific performance, indemnity, arbitration, jury waiver, or assignment.
• ☐ Confirmed whether Form FC-95 and § 15-7-27 govern instead.
• ☐ Counsel reviewed the completed official form and all attachments before filing.

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Rhode Island Family Court Form FC-47 — Adoption Petition, child under eighteen, revised September 2025
• Rhode Island Family Court Form FC-95 — Confirmatory Adoption Petition
• R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 15-7 — Adoption of Children
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-4 — Petition and court
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-5 — Consent required
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-10 — Consent of minor parents
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-14 — Decree of adoption
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-14.1 — Decree of open adoption
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-17 — Effect on natural-parent rights
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-21.1 — Challenge to decree
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-7-27 — Confirmatory adoption