Art. 1242 Refusal of interlocutory or final decree

If a judge decides that a private adoption is not good for the child, the judge can refuse to approve it. This means the judge will not grant either a temporary decree or a final decree allowing the adoption to move forward.

When this happens, the judge has the power to take the child away from the people who wanted to adopt them. The judge can then give custody back to whoever had legal custody of the child before, or the judge can choose a new custodian to care for the child.

This rule exists to protect the child's well-being. Even if adults have started the adoption process, the court can still step in and stop it if the judge believes the adoption is not truly in the child's best interests.