Ohio § 3107.15

§ 3107.15.

(A) A final decree of adoption and an interlocutory order of adoption that has become

final as issued by a court of this state, or a decree issued by a jurisdiction outside

this state as recognized pursuant to section 3107.18 of the Revised Code , shall have the following effects as to all matters within the jurisdiction or before

a court of this state, whether issued before or after May 30, 1996: (1)(a) Except with respect to a spouse of the petitioner and relatives of the spouse, to

relieve the biological or other legal parents of the adopted person of all parental

rights and responsibilities, and to terminate all legal relationships between the

adopted person and the adopted person's relatives, including the adopted person's

biological or other legal parents, so that, except as provided under division (A)(1)(b)

of this section, the adopted person thereafter is a stranger to the adopted person's

former relatives for all purposes including inheritance and the interpretation or

construction of documents, statutes, and instruments, whether executed before or after

the adoption is decreed, which do not expressly include the person by name or by some

designation not based on a parent and child or blood relationship; (b) The legal parents of an adopted person may be notified that a sibling of the adopted

person has been placed into out-of-home care.  For the purposes of this division, “ sibling ” means a former biological sibling, former legal sibling, or any person who would

have been considered a sibling if not for a termination or other disruption of parental

rights. (2) To create the relationship of parent and child between petitioner and the adopted

person, as if the adopted person were a legitimate blood descendant of the petitioner,

for all purposes including inheritance and applicability of statutes, documents, and

instruments, whether executed before or after the adoption is decreed, and whether

executed or created before or after May 30, 1996, which do not expressly exclude an

adopted person from their operation or effect; (3) Notwithstanding division (A)(2) of this section, a person who is eighteen years of

age or older at the time the person is adopted, and the adopted person's lineal descendants,

are not included as recipients of gifts, devises, bequests, or other transfers of

property, including transfers in trust made to a class of persons including, but not

limited to, children, grandchildren, heirs, issue, lineal descendants, and next of

kin, for purposes of inheritance and applicability of statutes, documents, and instruments,

whether executed or created before or after May 30, 1996, unless the document or instrument

expressly includes the adopted person by name or expressly states that it includes

a person who is eighteen years of age or older at the time the person is adopted. (B) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, if a parent of a child dies without

the relationship of parent and child having been previously terminated and a spouse

of the living parent thereafter adopts the child, the child's rights from or through

the deceased parent for all purposes, including inheritance and applicability or construction

of documents, statutes, and instruments, are not restricted or curtailed by the adoption. (C) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, if the relationship of parent and child

has not been terminated between a parent and that parent's child and a spouse of the

other parent of the child adopts the child, a grandparent's or relative's right to

companionship or visitation pursuant to section 3109.11 of the Revised Code is not restricted or curtailed by the adoption. (D) An interlocutory order of adoption, while it is in force, has the same legal effect

as a final decree of adoption.  If an interlocutory order of adoption is vacated, it shall be as though void from

its issuance, and the rights, liabilities, and status of all affected persons that

have not become vested are governed accordingly.