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Highly-Qualified Adoption Lawyers in Naperville, Illinois
Helping a couple adopt a child is one of the best and most rewarding areas of our family law practice. Adoptions are happy events from beginning to end, and we love to provide the legal guidance and assistance for such a wonderful event.
Expediting the adoption process
The attorney’s role in adoptions is to make sure that the process and the complicated web of adoption laws are followed so that parents know there won’t be any subsequent issues, such as the biological parent wanting the child back after adoption.
In most cases, adoptions are uncontested procedures, but they involve legal necessities. These include proper consents from the parent(s) giving up the child, correct publication of notices of adoption, and notification of the putative father in an adoption, if necessary. All of these are important steps that need to be covered to ensure a trouble-free adoption.
Independent and step-parent adoptions
Independent adoptions and step-parent adoptions are usually either by consent of the parent(s) wishing to give up their parental rights, or they can proceed if the parents have abandoned the child.
If you have the consent of the parent(s), there will be an evaluation by an adoption agency. In almost every case the agency will recommend the adoption. This is followed by a brief court appearance where the judge approves the adoption.
Adoptions by way of abandonment
If the adoption proceeds by way of abandonment, there will also be an evaluation and a hearing date to approve the adoption as well as to officially and legally terminate the rights of the parent(s) who abandoned the child.
The process that takes place when the individual being adopted is an adult is somewhat simpler. The adopting parent and the individual being adopted agree in writing to proceed with the adoption without the necessity of filing a consent form by the biological parents or without proving any abandonment. This procedure takes about six to eight weeks to complete.
Call us for guidance
We will help you address all the legal issues in your adoption so that the entire process is trouble-free and you can give all your attention to the new person in your life. Contact us to schedule your initial consultation.
