Adoption Attorneys in Texas
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Texas Adoption Process
Congratulations! Deciding to expand your family through adoption is a huge step. It’s exciting but scary and overwhelming, and you may not know many other people who have done it. There is a lot involved with adopting a child, so you’ll need to be prepared.
Of course, adoption involves a lot of emotions. You are welcoming a new member of your family, which is always emotional. If this is your first child, you’ll need to adjust to the demands of parenthood. Depending on the child’s age and previous experience, they might be feeling rejected by a birth family, or you might need to learn all about a culture that you are unfamiliar with. There are all sorts of books, support groups, and other resources that can help you deal with those challenges.
Adoptions Lawyers
Unlike giving birth, adoption is also a legal process. Making a child legally a part of your family can be complicated and confusing. That’s why you want to make sure that you have a great lawyer on your side that can help you through this process.
In Texas, any adult can adopt any other person. If the adopter is married, their spouse needs to agree to the adoption (unless one parent is the biological parent of the child). If an adoptee is 12 years old or older, they need to consent to being adopted.
Types Of Adoptions
There are a few different types of adoptions. A domestic infant adoption is when you adopt a baby that was born in the United States, often to a mother who wasn’t able to care for the baby for some reason. These are usually completed through an adoption agency. In order to be approved, parents first need to go through an application process. In the case of newborn adoptions, birth parents have a window of time after the birth when they have the right to revoke the decision to release the child for adoption.
International adoptions are similar to domestic adoptions but can often take longer due to the need to work with the laws of various countries. You might need to visit the child internationally multiple times or figure out a way to stay in their birth country for an extended period of time. When adopting a child internationally, parents also need to make sure that the child receives American citizenship. Your lawyer can help you with this process.
Adopting from foster care is another option. Youth in foster care were removed from their birth parents’ custody and now need a stable home with parents who can care for them. These children can be any age, and often have suffered from trauma. Adopting from foster care usually requires specific training courses in the issues that might arise. If you’re not sure, you can also be a foster parent, where children live with you temporarily. Many people start as foster parents and then adopt the children placed with them.
Open adoptions are another option that is becoming more popular. An open adoption is when the child retains a connection with their birth parents in some capacity even after being adopted by their new family. If you are going this route, you’ll want a carefully constructed legal document outlining everyone’s rights and responsibilities.
People decide to adopt for many different reasons, and every adoption story is different. What they share, is the fact that they must navigate a confusing legal process so that they can take home their beloved new child. No matter which route you decide to follow, you’ll need good legal advice and an experienced lawyer to help you navigate your adoption. That’s why you should call Eaton Family Law. We are passionate about families and love helping people add a new child to their family. Call us today for answers to all of your adoption questions.
