Adopting a Child - The Adoption Process

The Adoption process is a court proceeding in which one or more adults become the legally recognized parents of a child who is not the biological child of any of the parties to the adoption. Adopting a child formally establishes a child/parent relationship for all legal obligations and purposes, these include: child custody, child support, and inheritance rights. The legalities can vary widely for adoption between the states and adopting through a private organization or a state agency may also significantly influence the adoption process.

The Adoption Process

The most common ways to adopt a child are:

• Private Party Adoptions: A private or independent adoption is often faster and more efficient than ustilizing an agency, public or private. The negative is that private adoptions are generally more costly because of the absence of government support services and subsidies. In some states private adoptions are against the law.
• Private and Public Agency Adoptions: These agencies are extensively regulated and monitored by the state government. Unfortunately using an adoption agency results in long waiting periods and they have complicated application procedures that include evaluation of the applicant(s) home and work situations. On the plus side they are generally less expensive than other types of adoptions.
• Step-parent Adoptions: It's becoming more common for parents to remarry and have their new spouse adopt their child from a previous relationship. The written consent of the other biological parent is needed for a step-parent to adopt. If this consent is denied, the step-parent must petition the court to terminate the parental rights of the biological parent - this can be a difficult and expensive legal process.

Find the Right Adoption Attorneys

Speaking with the proper attorney will help you understand your rights and obligations as well as preserve any possible remedies you may have. LegalMatch can match you with an experienced and qualified family law attorney to facilitate your adoption plans.

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