3 Legal Steps Of Adoption You May Not Know About

It is a well-known fact that modern adoption is a very time-consuming and challenging process. While there are a lot of people who consider adopting, only select few families or people are greenlit. That’s because there is a lot more to adopting than meets the eye. In order to make things easier for you to understand, we’ve decided to prepare a short article on the steps of adoption.

By definition, adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another. Generally, it involves a child. From a legal standpoint, an adoption permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from the biological parents to the adoptive parents.

Legal talk aside, most expecting couples are beyond excited at the thought of adopting. The excitement of knowing you have a child waiting for you that needs your love and care can be thrilling. Plenty of them lose sleep at night due to stress, as well. It is a difficult process that if oftentimes frustrating. You spend lots of hours filling out paperwork and even more time in interviews. Needless to say, this is for the benefit of you and your future child.

But before you get too excited and begin buying things for the new one joining your family, you should understand the three legal steps of adoption you may not know about. Here are our top 3 picks for the most important steps of adoption. Check them out below!

3 Legal Steps Of Adoption That You Should Know About

1. Legal Notice

Your family law Hernando County FL will post a notice of a hearing. The court sends this notice to anyone who has any legal rights in the child’s life, including grandparents, the adoption agency, and parents. Since every state and country has different rules and regulations, it is important for you to find an attorney that understands those specific requirements, and don’t rely on a private agency or do it on your own.

2. Legal Petition

The petition is a legal document listing all the pertinent information about the child, birth parents, adoptive parents. There are also statements about rights and duties that the adoptive parents must respect, as well as a clear reason why the biological parents give up the child for adoption. Other statements that are often required are one about the best interest of the child, the relationship between the adoptive parents and the child, and sometimes a conclusory statement from the birth mother to the child.

3. Legal Hearing

Court hearings are basically a formal setting in which the new family undertakes an oath and is then given the consent of the court to begin life as a family. The adoptive parents are sometimes questioned under oath, and if questions arise, the adoption agency may hold discussions as well. The judge signs the adoption papers and issues a name change if requested.

These three legal steps can take weeks, or they may take months. However, in the end, it will all be worth the effort when you find the child that is a missing member of your family.