Wachovia Bank and Trust Company v. Andrews

RodmáN, J.

The rights which a child acquires by adoption are those and only those declared by legislative act. The adoption statute in effect when Mr. Andrews died may be found in G.S. (1943 edition) 48-23. If appellants had been adopted prior to Mr. Andrews’ death, the statute then in effect would not have conferred on appellants the right to participate in the distribution of his estate; nor would they, by reason of the statute, have qualified as great nieces and great nephews of testator, Grimes v. Grimes, 207 N.C. 778, 178 S.E. 573; Barton v. Campbell, 245 N.C. 395, 95 S.E. 2d 914; nor…