This dissertation aims to present and analyze the experiences, feelings, and expectations of some couples in the process of legal adoption in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Several couples were monitored and three of them were interviewed in depth; they were, each one, at different times in the legal processes of adopting. Through participant observation, some recurring stages in the adoption process were identified, especially two significant moments or stages that overlap: the process of qualifying applicants for adoption, where it is mandatory to follow a course for candidates for adoption, which is conducted and certified by the Adoption Support Groups, authorized by the Child, Youth and Elderly Courts of each district / municipality; the other moment corresponds to visits to shelters for children and young people under the tutelage of the State. When analyzing this material, similarities and differences were found between the couples experiences, each marked by a particular feeling and issue. From their narratives, differences were observed in the performance of the technical operators – Support Groups, Courts, and institutional shelters - which contradict the initial impression of the participants, that the legal process would be a straight and less complicated path for the long-dreamed son.