法院認可收養審酌因素之實證研究

Abstract

本研究搜集2018年至2023年共六年間，我國各地方法院所有聲請認可收養之第一審裁定，總計531件。再以人工閱讀方式，剔除未進行實質審理的裁定後，就每一名被收養子女為標註單位，從認可收養事件的裁定內容，標註在既往研究與學理討論上所認為的重要參酌因素，最後以卡方獨立性檢定、內容分析法為研究方法，分析現行我國實務認可收養事件的運作概況，並進一步就不同收養類型統整法院於認可收養之審酌因素，對照現行民法第1079條之1與第1079條之2規定，探討不足與遺漏之處，以期能完善與建構明確的認可收養基準，提供解釋、適用上的參考以及未來修法上的建議。

研究結果發現，在未成年收養中，與法院的認可准駁結果有顯著關聯者，包含「被收養人之主要照顧者」、「被收養人之出養意思」、「被收養人與收養人／本生父母間的依附關係」，此三因素應為我國法院所認定的（未成年）養子女最佳利益的內涵。其次，本研究發現法院在繼親收養類型會再考量「收養人與其配偶之互動關係」、「生父母之出養意思」；在親屬收養中則是「生父母之出養意思」、「收養原因」、「生父母有無定時給付扶養費與探視」、「收養當事人有共同生活或試養」、「出養原因」之因素；非親屬收養則額外參酌「生父母有無定時給付扶養費與探視」、「收養當事人有共同生活或試養」、「生父母有無保護教養能力」、「收養人與其配偶之互動關係」、「收養人之國籍」、「收養人之收養意思」。

觀察後得出的結論包含：1. 當事人的性別與性傾向並不影響法院的審酌；2.「出養必要性」的門檻高低，係以日後被收養兒童與本生父母的分離程度為決定；在「收養合適性」的審酌中則是考量收養家庭有無互動良好的雙親可提供照顧；3. 針對跨國親屬收養，法院會特別強調與審酌收養當事人的收養目的與出養必要性，以避免當事人假借收養進行實質的移民；4. 兒少權法第18條與民法第1076條之1的功能接近；5. 社工訪視報告的評估與建議高度影響法院認可收養與否。

在成年收養的部分，「被收養人之出養原因」與「收養人的收養原因」為我國法院審酌成年收養的重點。亦有發現，近年來國人為成年收養的目的有所轉變，過繼、香火傳承的需求雖仍舊存在，但已逐漸減少，藉由收養達到晚年受扶養照顧的考量增加，在面臨高齡化社會的我國，成年收養的重要性將與日俱增。

基於上述研究結果，本研究認為現行未成年收養之認可基準準用離婚後親權酌定的參考因素，未區辨兩種事件性質的差異與制度目的，有所不妥，建議修正民法第1079條之1，建立未成年收養的明確審酌基準與因素。在成年收養部分，民法第1079條之2的三款不予認可事均可保留，並增加正向審酌基準與因素，如收養人的動機、當事人實際相處情形、有無共同生活的經驗、父母有無自身扶養能力、其他可為扶養之人等，使成年收養之制度更完善。

This study collects a total of 531 first-instance rulings on petitions for the recognition of child adoptions from local courts across the country over a six-year period from 2018 to 2023. After manually reviewing and excluding rulings that did not undergo substantive review, each adopted child was used as a unit of analysis. Important factors considered in previous research and theoretical discussions were marked based on the content of the adoption recognition rulings. Using Chi-square independence tests and content analysis as research methods, this study analyzes the current operational status of child adoption recognition in our country's legal practice. Furthermore, it integrates the court's considerations for different types of adoptions, compares them with the provisions of Articles 1079-1 and 1079-2 of the current Civil Code, and identifies deficiencies and omissions. The aim is to improve and establish clear and operable standards for the recognition of adoptions, providing suggestions for future legal amendments and reference materials for practitioners.

The research found that in minor adoptions, the common factors considered by courts are the "primary caregiver of the adoptee," "consent of the adoptee to be adopted," and "attachment relationship between the adoptee and the adopter/birth parents." These three factors form the basis of the best interests of the adopted child, with additional considerations based on different types of adoption. In stepparent adoptions, courts further consider the "interaction between the adopter and their spouse" and the "consent of the birth parents to the adoption." In relative adoptions, additional factors include the "consent of the birth parents to the adoption," "reasons for adoption," "regular support payments and visitation by the birth parents," "cohabitation or trial adoption of the parties involved," and "reasons for the adoption." For non-relative adoptions, the court also considers "regular support payments and visitation by the birth parents," "cohabitation or trial adoption of the parties involved," "the birth parents' ability to protect and educate," "interaction between the adopter and their spouse," "the adopter's nationality," and "the adopter's intent to adopt."

The conclusions drawn from the observations include: 1. The gender and sexual orientation of the parties do not influence the court's considerations; 2. The threshold for the "necessity of adoption" is determined by the degree of separation between the adopted child and the birth parents; in the assessment of the "suitability of adoption," the court considers whether the adoptive family has two parents who interact well and can provide care; 3. In cases of international relative adoptions, the court places special emphasis on and scrutinizes the adoptive parties' purposes and the necessity of adoption to prevent substantial immigration under the guise of adoption; 4. The functions of Article 18 of the Children's Rights Protection Act and Article 1076-1 of the Civil Code are similar; 5. The assessment and recommendations in social worker visitation reports significantly influence the court's decision on whether to approve the adoption.

For adult adoptions, the "reasons for adoption by the adoptee" and the "reasons for adoption by the adopter" are the focal points of the court's consideration. It has also been found that in recent years, the purposes of adult adoptions in our country have shifted. While the need for succession and lineage continuation still exists, it has gradually decreased, and the consideration of achieving elder care through adoption has increased. In our aging society, the importance of adult adoption will continue to grow.

Based on the above findings, this study suggests that the current standards for recognizing minor adoptions, which apply factors used in custody determinations post-divorce, do not appropriately distinguish between the nature and purposes of these different events, and thus should be revised. It recommends amending Article 1079-1 of the Civil Code to establish clear criteria and factors for minor adoptions. For adult adoptions, the three disqualifying factors in Article 1079-2 of the Civil Code can be retained, while adding positive criteria and factors such as the adopter's motivations, the actual relationship between the parties, their cohabitation experience, the birth parents' ability to provide support, and other potential supporters, to improve the adult adoption system.