33 Orders terminating parental rights

When a judge signs an order ending someone's parental rights, the court clerk has to send two certified copies of that order to the state child protective agency. This keeps the agency updated with official proof that the parent's rights have been legally terminated.

If a family is planning to adopt the child, the person adopting (or their lawyer) can get a certified copy of this order from the child protective agency. They will need this copy to attach to the adoption petition, since courts require proof that parental rights were properly terminated before an adoption can move forward.