Adoptions

The Shulman Rogers Family Law team can help you on your adoption journey. Whether you’re seeking a private or public agency adoption, an independent adoption, a stepparent adoption or a second-parent adoption, our skilled attorneys help guide adopting families and birth parents through the process.

In almost all instances, you will need an attorney to help finalize your adoption. It’s a good idea to identify a reputable and experienced attorney early in the process – this can help you develop a clear adoption plan and more effectively navigate the legal landscape that lies ahead. Having a knowledgeable lawyer could also speed up the adoption process.

Our adoption attorneys assist you with:

• Private or public agency adoptions: arranged through a licensed adoption agency
• Independent adoptions: arranged directly between the birth parents and the adoptive parents
• Stepparent adoptions: a stepparent becomes the legal parent of a child
• Second-parent adoptions: occurs when one partner wishes to adopt the other partner’s child, allowing them to share equal legal parental rights, typically occurring when the couple is unmarried or if they’re a same-sex couple

Elements of the adoption process:

• Preparing and reviewing paperwork
• Facilitating your background check
• Preparing you for your home study
• Negotiating the terms of your adoption plan
• Handling legal disputes or conflicts
• Communicating with adoption agencies
• Understanding and explaining local, state, federal, and international adoption laws

To consult with a member of our Adoption team, contact us.