Get free answers to your Adoption legal questions from lawyers in your area.
He has lived with us for 3 years and has had no contact with his birth mom for over a year
answered on Apr 29, 2019
Unless there is something you have not mentioned, this should be a simple process.
answered on Dec 14, 2018
Yes, although the formal consent of the person being adopted is required if they are 14 years of age or older. The written consent must be filed with the court.
answered on Nov 23, 2018
It requires a court order to do so. They are rarely granted.
answered on Nov 10, 2018
That depends entirely on how fast your lawyer gets the paperwork done and how fast your local court system operates. It shouldn't be more than a matter of months unless a problem comes up.
I'm worried that my hormones aren't making me think straight about it. What happens if I change my mind after I give birth and decide to keep the baby?
answered on Oct 12, 2018
1. If you sign a consent for adoption BEFORE the child is born, you have 72 hours after the birth of the child to change your mind and revoke your consent to the adoption.
2. AFTER the child is born you cannot sign a consent or surrender for adoption until at least 72 hours have passed.... View More
answered on Sep 25, 2018
Private adoption agencies operate within the law and have the best interest of the child in mind. Child traffickers do not operate within the law and most assuredly do not have the best interest of the child in mind.
answered on Sep 14, 2018
Unless the father consents to the adoption, his rights have to be cut off by proving his unfitness.
This could be abandonment, failure to maintain interest or a whole host of other reasons.
The usual incentive for cooperation is that he won't have to pay child support.
answered on Sep 2, 2018
Adoption agencies are not selling children. They are providing a service for which they must recoup their overhead. If they were not able to do this they could not afford to render the service and adoptions would dwindle away.
My sons last name was changed in July of last yr. I told the judge only way I would allow it is if his step father adopted my son and asked if I could give up rights n paying child support n the judge just granted name change. I never wanted out of my sons life and was willing to work with them but... View More
answered on Aug 13, 2018
You can't force her husband to adopt.
So, you are stuck.
But, you can assert your rights to be more involved with your child.
If you stay with it, you will get a court hearing.
answered on Jul 17, 2018
No.
Unless it has to do with American Indians where there may be some special rules.
answered on May 2, 2018
I am going to give you the lawyer answer, that depends on what country the adoption was from. But it is always a good idea to “enroll” the adoption here in the US, so you don’t have potential issues in the future attempting to get the adoption paperwork from the other country.
answered on Apr 19, 2018
For the sake of your niece, use a lawyer. Neither you nor she wants to be confronted with a claim the adoption wasn't done properly 3, 5 or 10 years from now, so she must be surrendered by you to be raised by someone else. Every detail must be done right. I repeat, every detail. Hire a lawyer... View More
Father has custody but we "babysitter" 24/7 for over 4 years now she was 3 and now 7. dont see father much or mother til out of prison and now she has sunday visitation right and now wants full custody. we want full custody of the child can that happen? what should we do? child consider... View More
answered on Apr 9, 2018
You really need to meet with a competent family law attorney as quickly as possible. There are too many "ifs, ands, buts and on the other hands" to give you a good answer without having the chance to ask probing questions to get at the details of what you've written.
My mom gave my dog away to a coworker. I was the one who adopted him and I was the one who paid for vet visits and his microchipping. He's registered in my name. I never granted the release of my dog to this coworker. After a couple of days the coworker let my mom know that she wanted to give... View More
answered on Apr 3, 2018
You have to make a demand for your dog in writing. Write a letter, date it & keep a copy of it. I recommend to use a nice tone in the letter, asking to have the dog returned to you by a date certain. Then if they do not return the dog to you, you can file a small claims lawsuit. You will want... View More
answered on Mar 9, 2018
The adoption law of the Illinois doesn't require a minimum level of income. Nevertheless, if it appears to the court or the guardian ad litem appointed by the court to investigate the case that the prospective adopting parent(s) will not be able to support the child, the question will almost... View More
I signed a general adoption for my son while I was in prison under the impression that he was going to a family member. Children and family services removed him from her home a few days after i was released for reasons that were unfounded and they have not placed him back. They have him with a... View More
answered on Mar 5, 2018
A consent must be signed in the presence of a caseworker or a judge. If that did not happen, the consent is invalid.
answered on Feb 17, 2018
That depends on many factors, such as whether a party fights the adoption, whether you are filing it in a county with a busy court schedule or not, how quickly reports are prepared (if necessary), the schedule of the attorney who filed the adoption, how promptly the attorney gets the paperwork done... View More
Hi i was 18 when i got pregnant and i was dating someone who is not a model citizen. he has a lengthy police record has been to prison multiple times and is involved in a "gang" and is involved in drug related activities we broke up when i was 3 weeks pregnant. when i started dating my... View More
answered on Feb 14, 2018
You not only can, but you absolutely should hire an attorney to handle this. There are a thousand ways to foul up an adoption, but there is only one way to do it right. Hire a lawyer who regularly handles adoptions and let him or her take care of it from start to finish.
Would he be able to go after the family that adopts the baby? Is there anyway to terminate his rights
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