Art. 1212 Effect of interlocutory decree

When a judge issues an interlocutory decree in an adoption case, it starts the clock running on a waiting period. This decree is not the final step in the adoption. Instead, it is a temporary court order that comes before the adoption can be made permanent.

Once this decree is issued, the family must wait a set amount of time before they can ask the court for a final adoption decree. The waiting period gives everyone involved a chance to make sure the adoption is the right choice and that everything is in order before it becomes permanent.

So if you are going through an adoption, this decree is a sign that you are moving forward, but you still have to wait before the adoption is fully finished. The clock for that waiting period starts as soon as the judge signs this decree.