Atlanta, Georgia, Adoption Lawyer

The biological parent-child bond and all associated duties and rights are severed in a legal adoption. Instead, a new parent-child bond is established between two people through legal adoption. Georgian authorities oversee and strictly regulate the adoption processes.

Atlanta adoption regulations seek to advance children’s welfare by:

1. Protecting them from preventable separation from their biological parents
2. Assisting in adoptive placement for minors in need of support, love, care, and security
3. Protecting children from an unfit adoptive placement
4. Ensuring the adoption process runs smoothly to finality

These regulations also protect the biological and adoptive parents from any undue influence that may lead to illegal adoption.

Atlanta lawyers will ensure that you comply with all the statutory requirements and regulations for adoptive placement. They can tell you everything you need to know about adoption, your rights, and your responsibilities.

Adoption laws in Georgia establish requirements for prospective adoptive parents and birth mothers considering placing their child for adoption. These laws also protect the biological parent’s rights, the child’s life, and the rights of the prospective adoptive parent.

It is most important to speak with Georgia family lawyers about your specific circumstances to determine if you meet the current legal requirements for adopting a newborn or older child.

The Eligibility Criteria for Adopting a Child in Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia has some strict eligibility requirements for adopting a child. The requirements vary depending on the adoption type (i.e., step-parent adoption or private domestic infant adoption.) Here are the standard requirements for prospective adoptive parents in Atlanta:

• You must be at least 21 years old or married and living with your significant other.

• You must be more than ten years older than the child you seek to adopt.

• You must possess the resources, health, and maturity to provide a stable home for the child.

• You must adopt jointly with your spouse if married.

• You will also undergo standard background checks if you are not the birth parents or related to the child by blood or marriage.

Georgia state laws might also impose a residency requirement. For more information about adoption requirements in Georgia, speak to experienced Atlanta lawyers.

Adoption in Georgia is structured to match children with families who can provide them with a stable, loving home. The specifics of each case are unique, so the adoption procedure might take a few weeks or many months.

In Georgia, adoptive parents must undergo a seven-step procedure involving orientation, family assessment, and training before they may bring a child into their home.

After completing all adoption paperwork, a GA Superior Court judge from the appropriate county will decide the adoption case.

A step-parent can legally adopt stepchildren in Georgia. However, there are some prerequisites:

• You must be in a legal union of matrimony with the child’s parent
• You must have lived with the child for a predetermined time before adoption begins
• Children above the age of 12 must consent to the adoption
• You will possess equal parental rights over the child in the event of a divorce

In-Family or Private Adoptions

An in-family or private adoption involves adopting a child who isn’t in state custody or the custody of a licensed agency and includes the adoption of relatives, stepchildren, and non-relatives.

In such arrangements, the state or the court appoints an agent to assess the in-family adoption petitions to ensure compliance with the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) and Georgia adoption law. The agent then makes recommendations about the appropriateness and feasibility of the adoption placement. It then falls on the court to make the final determination of adoption.