With its decision no. 3270/2025, the Athens Court of First Instance accepted the application of my clients, residents of the United Kingdom, for the recognition of the adoption of their son, which they had undertaken in England, having entered into a civil partnership.

The significance of this decision lies in the fact that the court overlooked that the requirements of Greek law for adoption were not met, the basic requirement being that the adopters must be married to each other and not in a civil partnership. The Court took into account the interest of the adoptee in continuing the personal status of the minor across borders, taking into account his interest in becoming the heir to real estate in Greece, as well as the fact that the couple had been together for more than ten years and it could not be disputed that the adoptee had grown up in a loving and stable environment (which is supposed to be guaranteed by marriage in each adoption case). According to the characteristic wording of the decision, “neither the fact that the adoption in question was carried out by partners, under a cohabitation agreement, rather than by spouses, can be considered contrary to Greek public policy, as the relationship between individuals living together under a cohabitation agreement may demonstrate genuine stability and the external characteristics of a married relationship, therefore, even in the case of the adoption of a minor child by same-sex persons living in a civil partnership, the minor would enter an environment that would correspond to a significant extent to the social norms of the family.” If you are interested in the recognition of an adoption decision made abroad, please contact the office for further details.