Adoption Law

Establishing Legal Parent/Child Relationship



What is Adoption Law?

Adoption law provides a means for parents to voluntarily assume the legal rights and responsibilities of a child not born to them. Following an adoption, all legal ties between the child and the birth parents are permanently severed. The new adoptive parents and the child are treated just like a natural family in the eyes of the law. The adoptive parents decide important matters involving medical treatment, education, and religion, as well as ordinary day-to-day issues that arise in the child's life. Adopted children can inherit from their new parents the same as natural offspring. Some jurisdictions even provide for the issuance of an amended birth certificate displaying the new parents' names.

State statutes govern adoption proceedings, and the substantive and procedural rules vary across the country. Most statutes require the local department of family services to perform a home study to ensure a stable environment free of dangers and bad influences. Those interested in adoption must also meet age and income requirements. Criminal background checks will be completed, and first-time parents may be asked to attend instructional classes. Statutory requirements like these are meant to help judges, case workers, and prospective parents create a safe and nurturing home environment.

Termination of Parental Rights


Before an adoption degree can be entered, the parental rights of the birth mother and father must be terminated. This allows those same rights to be conferred upon the adoptive parents, and it prevents the birth parents from attempting to exercise control over the child at a later time. In some cases, the birth mother and father will agree to relinquish their rights, making the process as simple as collecting their signatures on a legal document and filing it with the court. Other times, obtaining a termination of parental rights can be a difficult hurdle for the adoptive parents and their attorney.

When termination of the birth parents' rights is contested, the matter must be heard before the family law court. Both natural parents must be afforded due notice of the hearing and an opportunity to object. The hearing itself will be conducted much like a trial. The adoptive parents must present "clear and convincing" evidence that the birth parents are unfit to care for the child.

Evidence presented at a termination hearing will typically demonstrate the birth parents' lack of interest in the child's wellbeing, their failure to pay child support, and any history of domestic violence or substance abuse. Each case is different, and an adoption lawyer will be helpful in determining the best types of evidence to use in a particular case. The goal is to prove to the judge that terminating parental rights and approving the adoption decree is in the child's best interests.

Open vs. Closed Adoptions


A common question of those considering an adoption concerns who will have the right to have contact with the child once the adoption is final. The answer is that, just like natural parents, the adoptive parents will have complete authority to decide the matter. In an open adoption, the adoptive parents allow the child to have some degree of contact with birth parents, previous foster families, and other individuals from the child's life prior to the adoption. In a closed adoption, they do not. These issues are often settled in advance, especially in cases of infant adoption and adoptions arranged through private agencies. In the United Sates, there is a clear trend toward open adoptions. But of course, there may be concerns about the birth parents that make a closed adoption the appropriate choice.

Adoption by a Stepparent


Marriage can involve more than the union of two adults. When one of the spouses has children from a previous relationship, the marriage creates a new family, and the other spouse may come to love and care for the children as though they were his or her own. However, the law does not treat stepparent and natural parent relationships equally. The birth parent from the previous relationship still has the same legal rights as existed before the marriage. Stepparent adoption is a way to remedy this situation.

Besides reflecting the love a stepparent feels toward a child, adoption offers practical advantages to the entire family. For example, the stepparent may be called upon to make emergency medical decisions for the child, and an adoption will make this possible. Even if the birth parent from the old relationship has not made contact for years, a stepparent adoption will prevent that person from reappearing one day and causing a disruption. Finally, the adoption will ensure that the stepparent can retain custody should the natural parent unexpectedly pass away or become disabled.

Working with an Adoption Lawyer


If you are considering an adoption, working with an attorney can make the process go more smoothly. Hiring legal counsel is particularly important if you expect the birth parent whose rights will be terminated to be uncooperative. For more information, contact an adoption lawyer in your area.

Adoption Law - Know Your Rights!

  • A Guide to Adoption Law

    Adoption refers to the act by which one or more adult officially and legally becomes the guardian of the child. The adoption process varies considerably on a state by state basis, and also depends on other factors, such as the adoptive parent's prior relationship to the child. In our comprehensive guide, learn more about the laws governing both international and national adoptions, the birth family's legal rights, and possible legal complications.

  • Adoption and Divorce

    When a couple decides to get divorced, they agree to sever their legal relationship with each other. However, both parties still have legal rights and responsibilities related to their children, whether they were born of the marriage or part of an adoption.

  • Birth Father Legal Rights When Child Adopted Out by Birth Mother

    The act of placing a child up for adoption without the full consent of both biological parents could lead to a court case where one of the two is able to take custody if the other wants to give up parental rights. However, if the father is not part of the process, he may need to contact the adoption agency to initiate his parental rights for the child.

  • Can I Reverse an Adoption?

    While adoption can help place a child in a home with parents who want to care for the child, adoption does not always work out. The process is different to stop an adoption that has not yet gone through versus reversing one once it has been finalized. It also depends on the person who wishes to reverse the adoption.

  • How Does Adoption Affect My Paternal Rights?

    When the biological child of a father may go through an adoption, he or she is usually no longer considered the child of the previous man in the eyes of the law. Many fathers must give up their paternal rights to the youth once he or she goes through the adoption process, and this could cut him out of the young person's life.

  • Rights of Lineal Relatives After Adoption

    When a person is adopted, the legal relationship between that individual and birth parents and other individuals is altered. In many states.

  • Surrogacy and the Law

    What are the laws related to surrogacy? How does the process work? What does one need to think about when considering using a surrogate?

  • What is the Difference Between Adoption and Guardianship?

    When accepting responsibility for the welfare of a child, there are many difficult questions to consider. But one that often confuses people is the difference between adoption and guardianship. Does one have to adopt a child in order to act like a parent and be responsible for the child, or is there a simpler way?

  • What is the Difference Between Adoption and Guardianship?
  • Why Would Someone Want to Adopt an Adult?

    Adoption of individuals is complicated when the person is already an adult and the other party wants to adopt him or her. However, it is possible and is not uncommon for someone to adopt an adult when it is to create or bond with a family that is already related by blood or is chosen by the person being adopted, and this happens to those over 21 often.

Adoption Law Articles



Find a Lawyer