Any person may adopt his spouse's child, and any person may adopt a child to whom he is related by blood or marriage. In the adoption of these children: (1) no investigation or report required under the provisions of Section 63-9-520 is required unless otherwise directed by the court; (2) no accounting by the petitioner of all disbursements required under the provisions of Section 63-9-740 is required unless the accounting is ordered by the court; (3) upon good cause shown, the court may waive the requirement, pursuant to Section 63-9-750, that the final hearing must not be held before ninety days after the filing of the adoption petition; (4) upon good cause shown, the court may waive the requirement, pursuant to Section 63-9-320(A)(2), of the appointment of independent counsel for an indigent parent; and (5) upon good cause shown, the court may waive the requirement, pursuant to Section 63-9-60(B)(3), that the adoption proceeding must be finalized in this State. HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2; 2010 Act No. 160, Section 10, eff May 12, 2010; 2018 Act No. 144 (H.3442), Section 3, eff April 4, 2018.
South Carolina Legal Code