Close-Family Adoption
A Modern Pathway to Legal Parenthood under AB 227 (2025)
Many children in Nevada are already being raised by family.
Grandparents. Stepparents. Aunts. Uncles. Adult siblings.
AB 227 recognizes those families—and gives them a clearer path to legal parenthood.
Enacted in 2025, AB 227 modernized Nevada’s adoption laws to simplify close-family adoptions, sometimes called stepparent, kinship, or relative adoptions.
At The Cooley Law Firm, we were proud to help shape this law.
Attorney Shelly Booth Cooley was actively involved in drafting and advocating for AB 227 and now guides families through the process with clarity, compassion, and care.
What Is a Close-Family Adoption?
A close-family adoption allows a qualifying relative to adopt a child without agency placement and through a streamlined court process.
This option exists for families where the child is already living safely and permanently within their family network.
Eligible Relatives May Include:
Stepparents or domestic partners
Grandparents or great-grandparents
Adult siblings
Aunts and uncles
This process respects the reality that family caregiving often happens first—and legal recognition comes later.
Key Changes Under AB 227
AB 227 updated and replaced NRS Chapter 127, bringing Nevada adoption law in line with modern family life.
Important Reforms Include:
Creation of the Close-Family Adoption category
Separate from agency, identified, or child-welfare adoptions.No home study or investigation required
When the adopting relative qualifies and the child is already in their care.Updated consent and relinquishment rules
Clear, modern standards that reduce confusion and delay.Streamlined court process
In many cases, hearings may be waived when all legal requirements are met.Respect for existing parental rights
The law focuses on confirming permanent placement within the family.
These changes were designed to reduce stress, cost, and delay for families already doing the work of parenting.
Benefits of Close-Family Adoption
Close-family adoption offers lasting protection for both children and caregivers.
Key Benefits Include:
Legal Security
Finalizes parental rights and ensures access to medical, educational, and financial benefits.Emotional Stability
Confirms what is already true in daily life—that this is the child’s parent.Privacy and Efficiency
A direct court process without agency involvement.Continuity of Family Ties
Preserves the child’s biological, cultural, and family connections.
How The Cooley Law Firm Helps
We handle every legal detail, so you can focus on your family.
Our services include:
Determining eligibility under AB 227
Preparing all petitions, consents, and affidavits
Drafting the adoption order
Ensuring ICWA compliance, when applicable
Guiding families through post-adoption steps, including
Name changes
Amended birth certificates
We ensure your adoption complies with the latest law, while keeping the process respectful and efficient.
A Nevada Law Firm Rooted in Family-Building
Adoption is more than paperwork.
It is an act of permanence, love, and commitment.
Close-family adoption under AB 227 reflects Nevada’s commitment to families who step up for their own.
If you are caring for a relative’s child and want to formalize that bond, The Cooley Law Firm can help you move forward with confidence.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Contact The Cooley Law Firm to schedule a consultation with Shelly Booth Cooley, a Las Vegas adoption attorney, Adoption & ART Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, and advocate for modern Nevada family-building laws.
Your family deserves legal recognition—now and for the future.
