What is the document that finalizes an adoption called?

The document that finalizes an adoption is referred to as an adoption decree. This legal document is issued by a court and serves to formalize the process of creating a permanent parent-child relationship between the adoptive parents and the child.

Once the adoption decree is granted, it legally establishes the adoptive parents' rights and responsibilities over the child, similar to those of biological parents. The decree includes essential information about the child and the adoptive parents and signifies that the adoption has been completed in accordance with the law.

In the context of family law, the other options do not serve the same purpose as an adoption decree. An adopting agreement, for example, may pertain to preliminary arrangements or understandings related to the adoption process, but it does not have the finality or legal authority of an adoption decree. Similarly, a legal guardianship order typically involves a temporary arrangement rather than a permanent legal relationship, and a child custody agreement pertains to the legal and physical custody of a child rather than the process of adoption itself. Thus, the adoption decree is the definitive document that concludes the adoption process.