Conoscienti & Ledbetter, LLC: Your Adoption Lawyer in Rome, GA

Adoption is a legal process that results in a court order which declares one individual, typically a minor, as a legal child of their adoptive parents or parent. Once the adoption procedure concludes, birth parents cease to have any legal rights to the child, and their parental rights are terminated. They also won’t be responsible or have an obligation to support the child anymore. In other words, as far as the law is concerned, the child’s birth parents become legal strangers to the child.

Adoption can be carried out through public or private agencies or independently with the help of an intermediary such as a lawyer.

Although adoption can be a beautiful and mature decision that allows parents to add to their family, adopting a child or a baby in Georgia takes time. It requires several steps that need to be completed. 

Whether you’re adopting domestically or internationally, family lawyers, particularly adoption lawyers, can help make this process less stressful and more successful. With their experience and knowledge of adoption laws, they can work with you to oversee that your adoption process goes smoothly and that all the paperwork is handled properly.

If you are looking to adopt a child in Rome, Georgia, bear in mind that it can be a complex and lengthy process. Fortunately, experienced GA lawyers can help you navigate the legal intricacies of adoption.

Just like there are requirements that individuals wanting to adopt need to meet, specific requirements also must be met before a child can be adopted. For example, if the child doesn’t have living parents, they can be adopted in Georgia.

If the child has living parents or guardians, they have to surrender all rights to the child voluntarily and in writing to a licensed adoption agency or potential adoptive parents.

Parental rights can also be terminated involuntarily after a court proceeding. If that is the case, the court has to decide whether adoption is in the child’s best interests.

What Is a Stepparent or Relative Adoption?

When a spouse of a child’s biological mother or father wants to become a legal parent of the child, it is considered a stepparent adoption. Since this type of adoption terminates the rights of the child’s other biological parent, a court typically won’t grant it if that parent is involved in the child’s life in a meaningful way.

If a blood relative wants to become a child’s legal parent, that is a relative adoption. However, not every blood relationship can be considered eligible for this type of adoption, and it’s essential to consult the Georgia statute and an adoption lawyer to make sure the relationship can be classified as such.

What Is an International Adoption?

Adopting a child born in another country by working with an attorney or through a licensed adoption agency is called international adoption.

If the whole process is completed in the other country, it’s recommended that families re-adopt a child when they are back in the United States. That way, the family can get a Georgia adoption and birth certificate from the Georgia Vital Records office (Certificate of Foreign Birth).

However, if the process is not finalized, the adoptive parents will have to meet more stringent requirements. Georgians can also adopt a child who is already in their home country but doesn’t have permanent resident status.

How Long Can Adoption Take?

Although it depends on the specific circumstances of each case, in general, adoptions done in the U.S. through licensed agencies can take several months to a year. While international adoptions can take longer, stepparent adoptions can sometimes be completed in six months.