MSPs hear evidence on adult adoption campaign
- Published
Nathan Sparling gave evidence to Holyrood's Petitions Commitee
A man who is campaigning for a change in the law relating to adult adoption has taken his fight to Holyrood.
Nathan Sparling, 28, wants a reform of Scottish family law which would allow him to be adopted by his step-father.
He gave evidence to MSPs on the Scottish Parliament's public petitions committee.
In the UK adoptions only happen up to the age of 18 but the campaigner said many young people did not realise this until it was too late.
The Petitions Committee said it would take submissions from relevant groups on the proposal and arrange another session at a later date.
Nathan, who never knew his biological father, met Brian Sparling when he was 12 and they struck up a good relationship straight away.
Nathan with his step-dad Brian and his mum Jenny
He has said they have had a father-son bond since Brian married Nathan's mother Jenny when Nathan was 16.
"I'll never call another man dad," he told BBC Radio Scotland.
Nathan was welcomed into the Sparling family
Speaking on Mornings with Kaye Adams, Nathan said the campaign had gained a lot of traction since it began in March.
He said he had been contacted by a lot of people who had wanted to be adopted but had been unable to because of their age.
"One of them that stuck in my mind was someone who turned 18 in April and because they saw the campaign in March, they rushed to get the adoption papers in before she turned 18," he told the programme.
"Luckily the courts granted her adoption after she turned 18 because the papers were in before.
"But that's just one situation which shows you there is clearly will from the courts to be able to allow people to be adopted after the age of 18 but the law just needs to change slightly."
He said his evidence to the Holyrood committee was a "good opportunity" to outline his campaign to the MSPs.
'Challenge'
Nathan, who works for a charity in Edinburgh, had initially believed a law change might be as simple as changing just six words on the current Adoption & Children Act (Scotland) 2007.
But he said he now realised it was likely to be more complex.
He said: "The current legal system allows for the rights and responsibilities of children to be passed on to adoptive parents and when you turn 18 those rights and responsibilities are dissolved.
"The current adoption order for children under 18 wouldn't fit for adults. There's a need to create either a new system or an amended system to allow for this to happen so that's the main challenge.
"It's not as easy as I once hoped."
Adult adoption - why?
Nathan Sparling wants to be adopted to recognise the man he was brought up by as his father.
But there are other reasons for wanting this change to the law:
The transfer of inheritance rights
Restoring an original relationship between adult adoptees and their biological family
Formalising the relationship of a stepchild and their step parent
In Japan, adoption of adults is used as a way to make sure family businesses survive when there are no heirs to take over.
- Published5 March 2018
