---
title: O.C.G.A. § 19-8-15. Objections to petition for adoption.
collection: code
id: 19-8-15
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 19-8-15 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-8-15
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-8-15.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-8-15/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t18-t19-(v16)-2022-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=b0848ebd_0#page=843
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-8.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: DOMESTIC RELATIONS / ADOPTION / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 19-8-15. Objections to petition for adoption.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “family member” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 19-7-3.

(b) If a legal mother and biological father, whether he was a legal father or not, of the child who is the subject of the proceeding are both deceased, regardless of whether either individual had surrendered his or her parental rights or had his or her rights terminated, it shall be the privilege of any individual related by blood to such child to file objections to the petition for adoption.

(c) A family member with visitation rights to a child granted pursuant to Code Section 19-7-3 shall have the privilege to file objections to the petition for adoption if neither parent has any further rights to the child and if the petition for adoption has been filed by a blood relative of the child. The court, after hearing such objections, shall determine, in its discretion, whether or not such objections constitute a good reason for denying the petition for adoption and the court shall have the authority to grant or continue such visitation rights of the family member of the child in the adoption order in the event the adoption by the blood relative is approved by the court.

## History

Code 1981, § 19-8-15, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1572, § 5; Ga. L. 2016, p. 87, § 3/HB 229; Ga. L. 2017, p. 774, § 19/HB 323; Ga. L. 2018, p. 19, § 1-1/HB 159.

## Law Reviews

For comment on “Grandparents’ Visitation Rights in Georgia,” see 29 Emory L.J. 1083 (1980).

For note on permissive intervention of grandparents in divorce proceedings, see 26 Ga. L. Rev. 787 (1992).

For annual survey on domestic relations, see 70 Mercer L. Rev. 81 (2018).