Adoption Act 1988

Subject to this Act and to any other Act that expressly distinguishes in any way between adopted children and children other than adopted children, on the making of an adoption order – the adopted person shall be treated in law as a child of the adoptive parents and the adoptive parents shall be treated in law as the parents of the adopted person; and the adopted person shall be treated in law as if the adopted person were not a child of any person who was a parent (whether natural or adoptive) of the adopted person before the making of the adoption order, and any such person shall be treated in law as if the person were not a parent of the adopted person; and the relationship to one another of all persons, including the adopted person and an adoptive parent or former parent of the adopted person, shall be determined in accordance with this section; and any guardianship of the adopted person ceases to have effect; and any previous adoption of the adopted person, whether effected under the law of Tasmania or otherwise, ceases to have effect.

Notwithstanding subsection (1), where the relationship between persons is relevant for the purposes of any law relating to a sexual offence – an adoption order, or the discharge of an adoption order, does not cause the cessation of a relationship that would have existed if the adoption order, or the discharge of an adoption order, as the case may be, had not been made; and any such relationship shall be deemed to exist in addition to any relationship that exists by virtue of the application of that subsection in relation to that adoption order or by virtue of the discharge of that adoption order.