Adoption Law
Adoption
Adoption is the legal process through which a family may be built, and a new home may be provided for a child when his or her parents find they are unable to provide for their child. Adoptive parents and birth parents choose adoption for many reasons. For adoptive parents, the reasons usually boils down to wanting to experience the joys of parenthood and help the family. For birth parents, adoption is almost always their desire to give their child the best possible life and future. In the end, though, birth parents and adoptive parents are seeking the same thing: for the child to be raised in a loving home so they can prosper in life. An adoption attorney can help both adoptive and birth parents reach that life goal.
Adopting a Child Already in Your Life
Some people want to adopt a child in order to become parents. Many people are already raising their grandchildren, nieces, nephews or other children without the benefits or protections of adoption. If you’re in such a situation, the legal process of adoption is the only way to provide permanency for the child and ensure the child stays with you, regardless of how long the child has lived with you. Sometimes, a child’s biological parents may no longer be able to serve as mother or father. They may have passed away. They may be absent for extended periods. They may just not be fit to be parents due to mental health, drug use or other circumstances. In such cases, a child’s grandparent or other extended family member may step in to serve the needs of the child. If such an arrangement is intended to be or becomes permanent, adoption is an important decision with benefits for both the children and the adults who are taking responsibility to raise the child. If you are in this type of situation and want to explore the possibility of adoption with an experienced attorney. Many step parents do not differentiate between step children and biological children. However, the law in the state Florida does. The legal relationship between a step parent and step child can come to an end through divorce or through the death of the child’s biological parent. Even a long-absent biological parent may have preference for custody of a child over a stepparent, despite what the child may want or even what everyone thinks would be best for the child. If your stepchild is close to you, but has little or no relationship with their other biological parent, you may be able to adopt the child in order to protect him or her from the risk of losing their relationship with you should a tragedy occur. If your child’s biological parent will give their consent to the adoption, these adoptions can be fairly easy to complete. If you cannot locate your child’s biological parents you may be allowed to terminate their parental rights after publishing notice in a newspaper however these cases are highly technical and the assistance of an experienced adoption attorney is vital. With our experienced attorneys, the firm has successfully completed this legal process for clients in the past.
If you’d like to explore the possibility of adopting a child, call The Solomon Law Group, P.A. at 813-225-1818 to set up an appointment.
FAQ about Adoption in Florida.
