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.
Effect of Amendment
The 2010 amendment added subsection (5), relating to the waiver of finalization of adoption proceedings in South Carolina.
2018 Act No. 144, Section 3, in (5), substituted "Section 63-9-60(B)(3)" for "Section 63-9-60(A)(2)".