16) What the Deed of Adoption looks like

       

The Deed of Adoption prepared by our RIPA's lawyer was a 3-page long document as shown below. When you execute your deed of adoption in the city registrar's office, the adoption is official and complete.

*Important*: Do not fill in the date or sign the document when it is first given to you by your RIPA's lawyer. You need to sign the deed only while executing it at the registrar's office in front of 2 witnesses.

You need to pay the Honourable Govt. of India stamp duty on the deed before you take it to the registrar's office. The large blank space at the top of the first page was left by the lawyer for me to be able to affix a Rs. 200 non-judicial stamp or a franking receipt. See the section titled 'Franking the Adoption Deed' for more on this.