1. Preplacement investigation (may petition court or go to Department of Human Resources or a Licensed Child Placing Agency)
2. All necessary consents and/or relinquishments concerning the adoption are obtained
3. Guardian ad litem is appointed when either natural parent of the adoptee is a minor or in case of a contested hearing
4. Petition court for authority to pay fees or expenses
5. Placement of child with petitioners
6. File petition for adoption 30 days after placement
7. Serve notice or obtain waiver of notice on or from all parties entitled to notice of the adoption
8. Post placement investigation
9. Hearings
10. Affidavits of non-payment
11. Accounting of disbursements

The adoptee, if 14 years or older unless mentally incapable of giving consent.

1. The adoptee’s mother
2. The adoptee’s presumed father if he meets the requirements set out in Section 26-10A-7(c) of the Code of Alabama
3. The agency to whom the adoptee has been relinquished of which holds permanent custody except that a court may grant an adoption without the agency’s consent when it would be in the child’s best interest and the agency’s withholding of consent is unreasonable
4. The putative father if known; provided that he responds within 30 days after receiving notice of the adoption.

A consent or relinquishment for adoption may be given at any time. The prebirth consent of the mother must be signed or confirmed before a probate judge. All other pre-birth or post-birth consent or relinquishments must be signed of confirmed before the Probate Judge or clerk of the Probate Court or someone appointed by that court to do such, or someone appointed by the agency conducting the investigation or a notary public. The consent or relinquishment must be in substantially the same form as provided in the adoption code and must be in writing and signed by the person consenting or relinquishing.

A consent or relinquishment may be withdrawn for any reason five (5) days after the signing of the birth of the adoptee, or 5 days after the consent of relinquishment whichever occurs later.

The time to withdraw the consent of relinquishment can be expanded to 14 days if the court finds that such delay is reasonable under the circumstances and is in the best interest of the child.

A person seeking to adopt a child may pay maternity connected medical or hospital and necessary living expenses of the mother preceding birth and during pregnancy. Also, during pregnancy related incapacity as long as such payments are made as an act of charity and such payment is not contingent upon placement of the child for adoption. All fees and expenses, including legal, medical, investigative, or other legitimate professional fees may only be paid with court approval.

The adoption code was designed to keep an adoption as confidential as possible.

(a) Before a final adoption decree is rendered, the only people with access to the adoption records are: the petitioner, the petitioner’s attorney; the pre-placement investigator, and any attorney appointed or retained by the minor being adopted. No other person has access to the adoption records unless they obtain a court order after showing good cause to allow them to inspect the records.

(b) All adoption hearings are confidential and held in closed court open only to interested parties and their counsel, except with leave of the court.

(c) After the final decree of adoption is entered, all documents pertaining to the adoption are sealed and identifying information cannot be obtained by anyone except the adoptee under limited circumstances.

(d) The natural parent(s) may consent in writing under oath to disclosure of identifying information to the adoptee when such adoptee reaches the age of 19. The adoptee upon reaching the age of 19 may petition the court for disclosure of identifying information. Such information will not be released to the adoptee without the natural parent(s)’ consent unless the court determines it is best after weighing the interests of the parties involved.

There is usually a lot less formality and requirements when the adoptee is being adopted by a stepparent or close family member. Unlike all other adoptions, usually no pre-placement or post-placement investigation nor accounting of the cost relating to the adoption are required.

In order to be exempt from these requirements, the adoptee must have lived with the petitioner for at least one year.

Ordinarily the grandparents have no visitation right with their grandchildren when the natural parents’ rights have been terminated by adoption. However, at the court’s discretion, the court may allow such visitation rights if the child is adopted by a close relative or a stepparent provided it is in the child’s best interest