Little Rock, AR Adoption Attorneys

Adoption Facts | Arkansas Adoption Attorneys

Whether you are a parent considering giving your biological child up for adoption or you are seeking to bring a new family member into your home, you should speak to an attorney to ensure that your adoption goes as smoothly as possible. Adoption is a big decision for both birth and adoptive parents, and it is important that you are fully apprised of your legal rights throughout the entire process. At Destiny Law, we are committed to providing counsel and advice to anyone involved in the adoption process. Regardless of your role, the outcome of an adoption case can have a substantial and long-term impact on your life. To discuss your situation or simply to learn more about adoption, call our adoption attorneys today.

Protecting the Rights of Birth Parents

Birth parents who are considering adoption should be certain to consult with a lawyer. It is important to understand that, when you give your child up for adoption, you are relinquishing all of your parental rights.

Providing Guidance and Representation to Adoptive Parents

Adoptive parents often have questions about the process of adopting a child and may not even know where to begin. A lawyer can help get the process started and explain and help prepare for the many steps that occur along the way. The representation of an attorney will ensure that your rights are protected and that you go into your adoption aware of all relevant facts.

Assisting with Stepparent Adoptions

Individuals who have married a person with a child from a previous relationship may develop a strong parent-child relationship with that child. While you may feel like a father or a mother to the child, the law may not recognize stepparents as having parental rights. As a result, many stepparents choose to adopt their stepchildren.

There are many benefits to adopting a stepchild, including the following:

• The ability to make decisions about education, medical care, religion, and other important issues.
• The potential rights to visitation, custody, or child support, should you and your spouse divorce in the future.
• Fortification of the family unit and providing your stepchild with a sense of security regarding your parent-child relationship.

Importantly, issues can arise when the child’s other parent objects to the termination of his or her parental rights. For this and various other reasons, stepparents seeking to adopt should be certain to contact an attorney before starting the process.

Grandparent Adoption

Grandparent adoption, like stepparent adoption, is easier to obtain than other types of adoptions. The requirement of a home study is usually waived in these cases.

Requirements:

Usually, consent is required of a biological mother in the event of grandparent adoption. Consent of a father who is unmarried may be waived if certain conditions are met, although notice may be required, depending upon the circumstances. If notice is required and the location of the father is unknown, the court has several other requirements that it can impose to attempt to locate the father. One way courts may accomplish this is to require that the party hire a special attorney, known as an ad litem attorney, to attempt to locate the father and give notice. The court could also require notice by publication in a newspaper.

Can You Adopt Your Sibling?

Yes, a relative adoption, also called a kinship adoption can happen when a member of the child’s family (such as an older sibling) takes on the responsibility of custodial guardianship. Adopting your sibling is often a viable option in the following situations:

• The death of both parents
• Parental incarceration
• Incapacity due to physical problems such as a disease
• Unfitness because a parent is addicted to drugs or alcohol
• Abusiveness by the parent
• An inability to provide for the child

An older sibling adopting a younger sibling may not require parental consent for adoption in some situations, including:

• If a parent has deserted or abandoned a child
• If a parent has failed to communicate with or support the child for at least one year
• If a parent has relinquished rights or has had his/her rights terminated
• If a parent has been declared incompetent or mentally defective
• If a legal guardian has failed to respond to a request for consent for 60 days or is unreasonably withholding consent
• If a putative father has acknowledged paternity or is listed on the Putative Father Registry but has failed to establish a relationship with the child

Any child 10 and older must provide his or her consent; however, the court will set aside the child’s consent if it is determined that the adoption is in the child’s best interest.

Contact our Little Rock Adoption Attorneys

Adoption is a complicated legal process that can have a profound impact on the lives of everyone involved. For this reason, it is critical for anyone involved in an adoption to retain an attorney to ensure that they are fully informed about their rights and responsibilities. To schedule a consultation with a Little Rock adoption attorney, contact us at 501-372-1200.