Step-Parent Adoption

LEGAL SOLUTIONS IN STEPPARENT ADOPTION

In many families, a stepmother or stepfather is the closest thing the child knows to a mother or father. That person has played the role of parent to the child, often for most of his or her life. Stepparent adoptions provide a way for the stepparent to formalize that relationship.

Parental Rights For Stepparents Through Adoption

Not only do stepparent adoptions formalize the existing relationship between the stepparent and the child, they create a framework that grants the stepparent legal authority and decision-making, as well as parental rights. Should anything happen to the biological parent, the stepparent can seamlessly step into the role of primary parent and continue to care for the child. Stepparent adoptions also protect the child by providing him or her with another legal parent responsible for his or her care.

At the law offices of Gina Smalley, we assist families in formalizing the bonds between stepparents and children through stepparentadoption. We provide you with a clear understanding of what this process requires and walk you through each step with the answers and information you need.

If you or your spouse are seeking to adopt your stepchild, pleasecontactour Marietta, Georgia, law offices today at 770 746 8908 to learn how we can help.

Unlike many domestic or agency adoptions, stepparent adoption usually does not require an intense process of home visits and evaluations. The child has already been living in the home. This typically allows the process to continue much faster than other forms of adoption.

In some cases, both biological parents must consent for the stepparent to adopt the child and assume parental rights. This can create a problem if the former spouse or the child’s parent wants to block the adoption. Our attorney is skilled at crafting creative solutions to allow the adoption to proceed, often even in the event of an objection. If either biological parent has abandoned the child or no longer plays a role in his or her life, we can explore the option of seeking to terminate that parent’s parental rights on the grounds of neglect or abandonment.

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