Adoption Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Adoption.

Adoption (noun)

1. A legal process that establishes a new, permanent parent-child relationship between two individuals who are not biologically parent and child, granting the adoptive parent(s) the same rights and responsibilities as a biological parent.
2. This process permanently terminates the legal rights and responsibilities of the biological parent(s) or previous legal guardian(s).

Example: After going through the adoption process, Jane legally became the mother of her adopted son, despite their lack of biological connection.