Form 9-102.9.Attorney affidavit as to consent of a child to adoption

Last amended July 1, 2024 · Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026

In one sentenceForm 9-102.9 is the affidavit an attorney files confirming that a child's consent to an adoption was informed and voluntary.

Full Text of Form 9-102.9

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Affidavit by Attorney as to Consent of __________ (Child) to Adoption

1. I am the attorney representing __________, the individual who is the subject of this adoption proceeding (“the child”).

2. The child, at the time of the signing of the consent form, was ___ years old. The child's date of birth is __________. To the best of my knowledge, the child is not an Indian child subject to the provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

3. (Check one of the following)

[ ] The child is not disabled or is disabled but the disability would not affect the child's ability to understand the meaning of consenting to adoption.

[ ] The child has a disability that could affect the child's ability to understand the meaning of consenting to adoption. The disability is __________. Despite the child's disability, I believe that the child understands the meaning of the consenting to adoption. The following additional steps were taken to ensure that the child understood the meaning of the consent form prior to signing it: __________.

4. The child understands English, or the consent that the child signed has been translated into __________, a language that the child understands.

5. Based on my interview with the child, the child is not a member of an Indian tribe, is not eligible for membership in an Indian tribe, and is not the biological child of a member of an Indian tribe.

6. I have explained to the child that __________ have asked the court to be permitted to adopt the child, that the child has the right to decide whether or not the child wants to be adopted, and the possible options if the adoption is not approved.

7. I reviewed the consent form thoroughly with the child, and I believe that the child agrees to the adoption and has signed the consent form knowingly and voluntarily and not due to duress or coercion.

I solemnly affirm under the penalties of perjury that the contents of this affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief.

(Date)           (Signature)

(Printed Name)

(Address)

(City, State, Zip Code)

(Telephone Number)

End

Amendment History

Maryland publishes each rule’s adoption and amendment record as a bracketed “Credits” note beneath the rule, giving the date of each Rules Order and the date it took effect. It is reproduced verbatim below.

[Former Form 9-102.10 adopted June 4, 2007, eff. July 1, 2007. Renumbered Nov. 9, 2021, eff. Jan. 1, 2022; April 5, 2024, eff. July 1, 2024.]

Plain-English Summary

The third of the affidavit forms, and the one used when the person consenting is the child being adopted. It follows the same structure as the two parental affidavits, written about the child instead.

The attorney states that they represent the child, gives the child's age and date of birth at the time of signing, and checks a box addressing whether any disability could affect the child's ability to understand what consenting to adoption means. The attorney confirms that the child understands English or had the consent translated, reports what their interview showed about Indian tribe membership, and affirms that they explained who has asked to adopt the child and what rights the child has.

The affidavit closes with the attorney's belief, after reviewing the consent form thoroughly with the child, that the child agrees to the adoption and signed voluntarily — affirmed under the penalties of perjury.

This form carries the clearest trace of the 2022 renumbering: its credits record that it was adopted as Form 9-102.10 in 2007 and renumbered in 2022, so a reference to “Form 9-102.10” in an older document means this form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who files this affidavit?

The attorney representing the child whose consent to adoption is being filed. It is affirmed under the penalties of perjury.

Was this form once numbered differently?

Yes. Its credits record that it was adopted as Form 9-102.10 in 2007 and renumbered to 9-102.9 in 2022, so an older reference to Form 9-102.10 means this form.

What does the attorney have to confirm?

That they represent the child, the child's age at signing, whether a disability could affect the child's understanding, that the child understands the language of the form, what the interview showed about Indian tribe membership, that the attorney explained who wishes to adopt and what rights the child has, and that the attorney believes the child agrees.

Source & verification. The form text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, Title 9 — Family Law Actions (Md. Rule, Form 9-102.9). Adopted by the Supreme Court of Maryland. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 8, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: attorney affidavit child consent MarylandForm 9-102.9 affidavitformer Form 9-102.10child consent affidavit adoption