The Types Of Services Offered By Adoption Attorneys?

Answer 1

Adoption attorneys offer their clients a variety of services over and above the traditional scenario of a childless couple adopting an unwanted baby, although the latter cases are, by far, the most common.

Apart from traditional adoption services, most - but not all - firms of adoption attorneys will also offer legal assistance with step-parent adoptions, adult adoptions and surrogacy matters. In the vast majority of cases, however, their expertise will be put to use facilitating the adoption of a young child by interacting with both the birth mother and the adoptive parents in cases where the child's parents and the adoptive parents are not related to each other.

Step-parent adoptions are similar to traditional adoptions in that a minor is being adopted but are different from them in that the adoptive parent is also the child's step-parent. The adoptive parent is therefore already married to the child's mother or father and is known to the child, and one of the most important aspects that adoption attorneys monitor in these cases is the interaction between the child's step-parent and his or her absent parent.

Adult adoptions are fairly rare and, in these cases, an adult adopts another adult. These types of adoptions are usually found in situations where an older adult wants to put his or her estate in order through adopting an heir and involve procedures that are somewhat different to those relevant to both traditional and step-parent adoptions.

The final area in which adoption attorneys can assist a childless couple is that of surrogate pregnancies where a child is carried to term by a woman who is either its biological or surrogate mother but who will not be keeping the child after it is born. In these cases, the child is agreed to be adopted by another couple before it is conceived, and, here, adoption attorneys will assist with drafting surrogacy agreements that clarify the rights of the child's biological parents, surrogate mother and adoptive parents.

Adoption attorneys provide a very needed and extremely welcome service to the community, and many people owe their happiness - and their chance for a new life - to competent adoption lawyers.