Get free answers to your Adoption legal questions from lawyers in your area.
Your current state is Ohio
My husband and I have been together for 15yrs and in that time we adopted a 4yr old who is now 10. We've always wanted more kids but the agency route just didn't fit our situation. My sister-in-law and brother have kids of their own and know they don't want anymore but have offered... View More 
answered on Aug 1, 2023
It's wonderful to hear about the support from your family. The complexities surrounding surrogacy, parental rights, and birth certificates would best be handled by consulting with a family law attorney in Houston who specializes in reproductive law. Here's a general outline of the steps... View More
My husband and I have been together for 15yrs and in that time we adopted a 4yr old who is now 10. We've always wanted more kids but the agency route just didn't fit our situation. My sister-in-law and brother have kids of their own and know they don't want anymore but have offered... View More
answered on Aug 7, 2023
In Texas, gestational surrogacy is permitted under the Texas Family Code.
Here are the key provisions that you should be aware of:
1. Gestational Agreement: The gestational agreement must be in place and validated by a court before the birth.
This agreement outlines the... View More
My son was adopted by two gay men who in return one of them molested him and resulting him to going to prison yet my son is still residing the same home my daughter was adopted by my ex sister-in-law and just recently had been found he was molesting her she is also still in the same home is there... View More
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answered on Jul 30, 2023
I am so sorry to hear that your children have been molested while in court custody. This is a horrific situation, and I can understand why you feel like the system has failed you and your children.
There are a few things you can do about this. First, you should contact the authorities and... View More
I want to adopt my Niece, but am married. I want to know if I adopt her would my husband need to be involved, or is this something I can do without him? He knows about the adoption, but I don't want him to be on the adoption paperwork. Her biological father hasn't been involved in her... View More
answered on Jul 30, 2023
In Texas, an adult adoption (where the person being adopted is 18 years or older) is a much simpler process than adopting a minor. The consent of the adoptee is typically the main requirement.
Since your niece is 18, the adoption process doesn't require the consent of her biological... View More
If I found out that the lawyer who handled my adoption was actually disbarred at the time he represented my then adoptive parents. Is the adoption still valid and legally binding.
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answered on Jul 23, 2023
If the lawyer who handled your adoption was disbarred at the time of representing your adoptive parents, it could raise concerns about the legality of the adoption. A disbarred attorney may lack the legal authority to represent clients, and this could potentially impact the validity of legal... View More
Ever since my 18th birthday me and my adoptive mom havent gotten along and today she told me to leave her house. I have nowhere to go and I'm not sure what options I have.
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answered on Jul 17, 2023
When you turn 18, you're considered an adult in Illinois. If your adoptive parents have asked you to leave and you have nowhere to go, here are some options:
- Reach out to friends or family for temporary accommodation.
- Contact social services or the Department of Children... View More
Contact has been placed between my son and I (dcbs) I’ve been told my grandma is trying to legally adopt my son, telling her lawyer she doesn’t know where I am or how to contact me, with her doing that can she legally adopt without my consent? How can I go about finding out if a court hearing... View More
answered on Jul 16, 2023
Go to the family court clerks office in your county, take your ID and ask them to copy a complete copy of the case file in any case in which you are a named party. If she has filed anything to adopt, you will be a party to it and they will be able to locate it for you.
We went to court 2022 for custody. The judge granted him visitation if he finished reconciliation therapy. He ended up lying and telling me this old man was a reconciliation therapist. And he wasn’t. Ended up causing trauma for my daughter. He hasn’t tried to go back to therapy or complete what... View More
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answered on Jul 13, 2023
If the biological father is harassing you on the Talking Parents app despite having zero custody and not complying with the court's order for reconciliation therapy, you may consider taking action to address the situation. Document the instances of harassment, including dates, times, and the... View More
We went to court 2022 for custody. The judge granted him visitation if he finished reconciliation therapy. He ended up lying and telling me this old man was a reconciliation therapist. And he wasn’t. Ended up causing trauma for my daughter. He hasn’t tried to go back to therapy or complete what... View More
answered on Jul 13, 2023
He has no custody. Why do you need to do anything? If he's only using Talking Parents to harass you and not using it to communicate with you about your daughter, then don't read his messages and definitely don't respond to them. If you have another hearing, you can print out the... View More
I would like to find out how to make my temporary guardianship a legal guardianship and possibly adopt my nephew while simultaneously preventing my brother from removing nephew from my home. He has not met the terms of our agreement (which was 6 months of stable housing). My nephew has lived with... View More
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answered on Jul 10, 2023
If you currently have temporary guardianship of your nephew and want to make it permanent while considering adoption, there are steps you can take to protect his well-being. Consult with a family law attorney who specializes in guardianship and adoption to understand the legal process and your... View More
It has been brought to my attention that my 23 year old step-daughter has expressed her desire to be legally adopted by me. I understand that she has no desire to have a relationship with her biological father and that she is of sound mind. I would like to confirm that she has not been in the... View More
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answered on Jul 5, 2023
To adopt an adult in Georgia, you would need to prepare a Petition for Adult Adoption, gather consent forms from the adult being adopted and any other necessary parties, undergo required background checks, file the petition and supporting documents with the appropriate court, and attend a court... View More
I currently have supervised visits with my child out in the community, currently that visits are being supervised by the person who has the Guardianship of my child. It is not working out, the person lies in court about my visits says nothing but negative things about my visit that are not true all... View More
answered on Jun 22, 2023
Great question. To my knowledge, all supervision agencies would require on-site visits for liability reasons (they don't want their employees out some place they can't really control and in what could be a volatile situation). While not ideal (it costs time, money, and let's face it:... View More
CPS DETAINED MY KIDS IN MAY 2019(i went to jail later that month) • CPS DIDNT HAVE A WARRANT AND DIDNT MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO KEEP KIDS AT HOME OR REUNITE THE KIDS WITH MOM • I WAS LOOKING AT 3-5 IN PRISON AND MY ATTORNEY TOLD ME I SHOULD WAIVE REUNIFICATION SO THEY CAN GO WITH MY MOM. •... View More
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answered on Jun 22, 2023
If you want to get your kids back, here are some steps you can consider. First, talk to your family law attorney. They can help you understand what to do in your specific unique situation. Collect any evidence that shows you've been involved in your kids' lives and that your mom... View More
His appeal attorney said his case was IMMEDIATELY being sent back to dependency court. That was a few months ago. We've reached out to his "attorney" & the dept- with NO RESPONSE from either. My brother was rail roaded from day 1, wrongfully & illegally removing his daughter... View More
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answered on Jun 17, 2023
If your brother's appeal was successful in reversing the termination of his parental rights, the case should be sent back to the dependency court for further proceedings. However, it's concerning that you have not received any response from his attorney or the department.... View More
My fiancé wants to adopt. How long do we have to be married for? Can he adopt before marriage?
answered on Jun 14, 2023
It would probably be best to get married first and then adopt. Even though the biological father is not on the birth certificate he is still legally the father and has rights, so when you and your future husband do get married and he (your future husband) goes to adopt your child, you and your... View More
My daughter is almost 5.
Her father has not been involved besides about two weeks after child support was originally established. He spent a couple hours with her 3 times when she was 6 months old.
We had mediation at that time and we agreed to start out with a couple hours a few... View More
answered on Jun 9, 2023
Yes, the father can seek parenting time. If you are unable to come to an agreement or choose to dig your heels in a judge will ultimately make the decision. It very unlikely a judge will not grant some parenting time. The judge will weigh numerous factors to decide upon a plan. Reasonable... View More
He wasn’t on the birth certificate when I was born, they didn’t get married until I was over a year old. Wouldn’t he just needed to do a dna test to prove paternity to get legal rights? They also changed my last name to his when they did the adoption. I feel like if he is my biological father... View More
answered on Jun 8, 2023
First, even if he had done a DNA test and was determined to be your father, the test result (by itself) would not be enough for your birth certificate to be changed. Your parents would still have needed to file an action to have him added to the birth certificate.
It is very possible the... View More
Now he is 23 and trying to get a passport and we have ourselves in a pickle and not sure who to talk to. I went to the county building in Hemet CA which is where the adoption took place. What are our choices for resolution at this point. My son said they are telling him it has been too long but we... View More
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answered on Jun 2, 2023
Since every case can be unique, it's advisable to consult with an attorney or a legal professional who specializes in adoption law for accurate advice.
Here are a few steps you can consider taking to address the issue with your son's missing birth certificate:
Contact the... View More
ive never did a paternity test but i did sign the birth certificate & a AOP i had a child support case which was dismissed because my son is with me more then his mother & ive had insurance since he was born, a referree report was required, i had 14 days to come back to court which i was... View More
answered on May 24, 2023
The Child Support Referee is a type of judge that primarily handles child support cases. One way to think about it is to think that the child support referee is under the supervision of the district court judges. There are so many child support cases and it helps to have a specialized judge to... View More
Father isn’t on the birth certificate and was given many chances to meet his daughter but has only met her once for 5 minutes since she was born he refuses to answer any texts or calls and No DNA test was done. Would we need his consent for the adoption or do we have to take him to court.
answered on May 22, 2023
You either need his written consent or serve him with your Petition for Adoption and give him a chance to appear in court. Don't try this without a lawyer! Adoption has a number of details that need to be handled exactly correctly. Acquiring a child in this manner should not be left to "I... View More
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