Simple adoption and plenary adoption: what are the differences?

The adopted keeps all its links with his family of origin.

Plenary adoption gives the adopted a parentage which replaces its original parentage: the adopted person ceases to belong to his family of origin.

The exercise of parental authority is exclusively and in full assigned to the adoptive parent unless it's about the adoption of a child of the Civil partnership's spouse, partner or common-law partner.

In the latter case, the adoptive parent may exercise parental authority only if he or she carries out a joint statement before the registrar of the court.

Parental authority shall be exclusively and wholly assigned to the adoptive parent.

In the case of adoption of the child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner, parental authority shall be exercised jointly by the two members of the couple.

The adopter must food to the adopted and vice versa.

The adoptee's biological parents are only obliged to provide him with food if he cannot obtain it from the adoptive parent.

The adopted child remains liable to his or her biological parents unless he or she has been admitted as State ward or covered by social assistance.

The adoptive parent owes the adopted child support and vice versa.

There is no longer a maintenance obligation between the adopted and his biological family except in the case of adoption of the child of the husband, the partner of Civil partnerships or the cohabiting partner.

In the latter case, the adoptive parent still owes maintenance to the parent of his biological family with whom the relationship of filiation has been maintained and vice versa.

The name of the adoptive parent is added to or substitutes for the adopted parent (with the consent of the adopted person if he is over 13 years of age).

The adopted takes the name of the adopter.

At the request of the adoptive parent, the judge may change the adopted parent's forenames.

At the request of the adoptive parent, the judge may change the adopted parent's forenames.

The adopted child does not automatically become French.

The adopted minor may take French nationality with a declaration of nationality.

The adult adoptee must apply for naturalization to become French.

The adopted child during his minority automatically becomes french if one of the parents (adoptive parent) is a French national. He is considered French from birth.

The adopted inherits from the 2 families : his family of origin and his adoptive family.

He is reserving heir in his or her biological family and with respect to the adopter. He is not heir to the ascendants of the adopter.

The adopted child does not benefit from the same rights in his adoptive family abatements that an unadopted child. But there are exceptions (child of the spouse for example).

The adopted inherits from his adoptive parents (unless the adoptive parent dies during the adoption procedure). He is a reserving heir and has the same tax breaks as a biological child.

He does not inherit from his family of origin. However, there is an exception in the case of adoption of the child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner.

Simple adoption can be revoked by a court decision in the event of serious grounds.

The plenary adoption is irrevocable.