While adopting a child can be an immensely rewarding experience, it is often accompanied by a host of legal and bureaucratic complexities. Whether you are a parent struggling to find the right home for your child, a couple looking to welcome a new member into your home or a relative hoping to assume responsibility for a minor in your family, we can assist you in the process. We will take the time to explain all of the adoption issues to you, assist in the preparation of required documentation, represent you at the adoption hearings and advocate on your behalf should any challenges arise in the future.
When most people think of adoptions, they picture a couple adopting a child from his or her birth mother. However, stepparent adoptions are actually believed to be the most common form of adoption in the United States.
Stepparent adoptions commonly occur when one biological parent is no longer around, and the parent with custody gets remarried. The stepparent may play a large role in the child’s life and desire to “make it official” by adopting the child. Once the stepparent adopts the child, the child is considered the child of the stepparent, and therefore the child has the same legal rights a biological child would have, such as inheritance rights, and parental support. One of the most difficult parts of many stepparent adoptions is the termination of parental rights. Although a parent may not be involved in his child’s life at all, he may not want to give up his legal rights to the child. Or, the parent may be unable to be located.
Our firm can guide your family through this often difficult process. We will take time to learn more about your family, your unique circumstances and ensure that the adoption proceeding is done in the most efficient manner possible. |