Regulations last checked for updates: May 19, 2024

Title 20 - Employees' Benefits last revised: May 03, 2024
§ 222.34 - Relationship resulting from equitable adoption.

In many States, where a legal adoption proceeding was defective under State law or where a contemplated legal adoption was not completed, a claimant may be considered to be an equitably adopted child. A claimant will have the relationship of an equitably adopted child for annuity and lump-sum payment purposes if, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this part—

(a) The employee had agreed to adopt the claimant; and

(b) The natural parents or the person legally responsible for the care of the claimant agreed to the adoption; and

(c) The employee and the claimant lived together as parent and child; and

(d) The agreement to adopt is recognized under applicable State law such that, if the employee were to die without leaving a will, the claimant could inherit a share of the employee's personal estate as the child of the employee.

authority: 45 U.S.C. 231f.
source: 54 FR 42949, Oct. 19, 1989, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 20 CFR 222.34