Adoption Act 1955

Making of adoption orders

9: Withdrawal of consents

You could also call this:

"Changing your mind about adoption: when you can withdraw your consent"

If you give consent for someone to adopt a child, you cannot withdraw that consent while the adoption application is being considered. You also cannot withdraw your consent until the person who wants to adopt the child has had a chance to make an application. If you change your mind about the adoption, you can withdraw your consent at any time before an interim or adoption order is made, but not after. When you withdraw your consent, any appointment of the chief executive as the child's guardian under section 7 will also be withdrawn, and any consent they gave will no longer be valid.

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This page was last updated on 1 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM293159.

Topics:

Family and relationships > Children and parentingFamily and relationships > Adoption and guardianship

8: Cases where consent may be dispensed with, or

"When parents don't need to agree to an adoption"

10: Social worker to report, or

"The court gets a report from a social worker before making adoption decisions."

9Withdrawal of consents

Where any consent to an adoption of a child by any specified person or persons is given by any parent or guardian of the child except the chief executive, the consent shall not be withdrawn at any time while an application by the said person or persons to adopt the child is pending, or until the said person or persons have had a reasonable opportunity to make an application to adopt the child.
Subject to the provisions of subsection (1), any consent to an adoption, and any appointment of the chief executive as the guardian of a child under subsection (4) of section 7, may be withdrawn at any time while neither an interim order nor an adoption order has been made in connection with the adoption, but shall not be withdrawn after any such order has been made. Where any such appointment of the chief executive is so withdrawn, any consent given by him shall lapse.

Notes

Section 9(1): amended, on 1 October 1999, by section 13 of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services Act 1999 (1999 No 82).
Section 9(2): amended, on 1 October 1999, by section 13 of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services Act 1999 (1999 No 82).