CHAPTER 29
DECREES AND RECORDS
Subchapter
A. General Provisions
B. Records and Access to Information
C. Information Registry
D. Release of Information
Enactment. Chapter 29 was added October 15, 1980, P.L.934, No.163, effective January 1, 1981.
SUBCHAPTER A
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec.
2901. Time of entry of decree of adoption.
2902. Requirements and form of decree of adoption.
2903. Retention of parental status.
2904. Name of adoptee.
2905. Impounding of proceedings and access to records (Repealed).
2906. Docket entries.
2907. Certificate of adoption.
2908. Foreign decree of adoption.
2909. Medical history information (Repealed).
2910. Penalty for unauthorized disclosure.
Subchapter Heading. The heading of Subchapter A was added October 27, 2010, P.L.961, No.101, effective
in 180 days.
§ 2901. Time of entry of decree of adoption.
Unless the court for cause shown determines otherwise, no decree of adoption shall
be entered unless the natural parent or parents' rights have been terminated, the
investigation required by section 2535 (relating to investigation) has been completed,
the report of the intermediary has been filed pursuant to section 2533 (relating to
report of intermediary) and all other legal requirements have been met. If all legal
requirements have been met, the court may enter a decree of adoption at any time.
(June 23, 1982, P.L.617, No.174, eff. 60 days)
Notes of Decisions
In Re Adoption of C.C.G., 762 A.2d 724 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2000).
· cites it 14× “§§ 1501-1991, and is incongruous with the legislature's purpose in enacting section 2711; (2) the Majority erroneously applies principles of law derived from cases involving the involuntary termination of parental rights, and in so doing, it fails to recognize the discretion…”
In Re Adoption of R.B.F., 762 A.2d 739 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2000).
· cites it 10× “§§ 1501-1991, and is incongruous with the legislature's purpose in enacting section 2711; (2) the Majority erroneously applies principles of law derived from cases involving the involuntary termination of parental rights, and in so doing, it fails to recognize the discretion…”
In Re Adoption of R.B.F., 803 A.2d 1195 (Pa. 2002).
· cites it 2× “We hold that Section 2901 of the Adoption Act, 23 Pa.C.S. § 2901, affords the trial court discretion to determine whether, under the circumstances of a particular case, cause has been shown to demonstrate why a particular statutory requirement has not been met.”
Russell v. Bridgens, 647 N.W.2d 56 (Neb. 2002).
· cites it 2× “An exception to the unqualified consent requirement is found in 23 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 2903 (West 2001), which provides that "[w]henever a parent consents to the adoption of his child by his spouse, the parent-child relationship between him and his child shall remain whether…”
In Re: Adopt. of M.R.D. & T.M.D. Appeal of: M.C., 128 A.3d 1249 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).
“Although the statutory reference for "good cause” was not cited by the trial court, Section 2901 of the Act provides, in part, "[u]n-less the court for cause shown determines otherwise, no decree of adoption shall be entered unless the natural parent or parents’ rights have been…”
Adoption of: J.B. Appeal of: L.M., 308 A.3d 1262 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
“” 23 Pa.C.S. § 2901. … Upon this showing, the party may then appeal to the court’s discretion by demonstrating with clear and convincing evidence why the purpose of Section 2711(d) would nevertheless be fulfilled or unnecessary in their case, despite the party’s inability to…”
In Re: Adopt of: K.E.G., a Minor (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023).
· cites it 5× “Thereafter, the trial court did not appoint separate legal ____________________________________________ 4 As discussed infra, although Mother did not cite a specific statute, we discern her arguments concerning “cause” arose pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 2901. -3- J-S27028-23…”
Terminations of Parental Rights to P.B.W.-V. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2021).
· cites it 4× “(“Child”), born in August 2012, finding that they had not established good cause for their failure to comply with 23 Pa.C.S. § 2901 or for the court to extend the applicability of 23 Pa.”
In Re: Adpt. of V.S.T., Appeal of: J.S.T. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
· cites it 4× “§ 2512(b), or the “cause shown” exception thereto at 23 Pa.C.S. § 2901. We adopt the orphans’ court’s summary of the underlying facts and procedural history of this matter.”
C.M. v. S.A. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
· cites it 3× “, supra, the trial court has discretion -5- J-A26006-17 pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 2901, to excuse a party’s inability to satisfy the statutory requirements for adoption upon cause shown.”
Adoption of: C.M., Appeal of: J.C. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2020).
· cites it 3× “The second is the “cause shown” exception under 23 Pa.C.S. § 2901 that gives the orphans’ court discretion to grant an adoption petition in limited circumstances where the moving parent cannot meet the statutory requirements, but has demonstrated good cause for noncompliance.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.