Over the years, our firm has been fortunate

enough to be involved in the joining togethe

r of families through the adoption process.

While complicated and technical, we have

the expertise to wade through the process.

Kyle Sharry heads our adoption practice.

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Uncontested adoptions:

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When the parents have either surrendered

their parental rights, are willing to do so,

or have had their rights terminated by

Court Order prior to the initiation of an

adoption process, the adoption is considered

uncontested. Requirement for the adoptive

parents include a home study, background

checks, and a myriad of legal documents

being signed, but the case can usually be

completed within 90 days.

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Contested Adoptions:

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In some cases, a parent or both parent’s

rights must be terminated before an adoption

can be filed, or by motion within the adoption

case itself. As parental rights are the most

protected rights a person can have,

terminating them can only be done under

strict circumstances. Often, this has already been done by the State, but in many cases termination is prosecuted by the party or parties seeking to adopt a child. Our firm has the experience and knowledge to succeed in terminating rights to effectuate adoption cases under the circumstances.

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Step-Parent Adoptions:

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The most prevalent type of adoption case is where a natural parent has remarried and feels that their child or children should be adopted by their spouse. The rights of the other biological parents must be considered, and either surrendered or terminated within the adoption case. Therefore, step-parent adoptions can be either contested or uncontested. If contested, a prerequisite to filing is the ability to prove that the parent whose rights one is seeking to terminate has either failed to support the child for one year, or has failed to have significant contact with the child for one year. If this is the case, a step-parent must then prove that the child’s best interests are served for the adoption to be granted. Again, we have much experience in all aspects of these cases from both sides of the case.

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If you are even considering any of these options, or are faced with an attempt by another party to adopt your own natural child, we encourage you to call or email us about setting up a free consultation.