Fort Worth Adoption Lawyer

What Is The Process Of Adoption In Texas?

One of the bright moments in a family courthouse is when a judge declares that a requested adoption is granted. It is usually followed by courtroom applause, pictures, and often tears of joy. By adopting a child, parents open their home to a child in need, making a commitment to raise the child and provide the necessary financial support to ensure that the child will have the proper food, clothing, education, medical care, and a home where they can live in safety and comfort. Adoptive parents and children can build strong family bonds that last a lifetime. Parents will also gain legal parental rights that will allow them to maintain custody of an adoptive child, and they will have the obligation to provide for the child's ongoing needs, no matter what happens in the future.

While adoption provides multiple benefits for everyone involved, these cases are complicated family law matters that require the assistance of an attorney. If you are considering adopting a child, Hatton & Hatton, PLLC can help you navigate the complex, specific requirements you will need to meet, and we will make sure you take the correct steps to finalize the adoption process. Our goal is to provide your family with the tools to succeed in the future as you build loving, lasting relationships.

Legal Help With Multiple Types of Adoption

As with all family law matters, each adoption is different, and each case presents its own set of challenges. To ensure that parents will be able to provide for a child, a home study will usually need to be completed. If parents are adopting a child through an adoption agency or in a private agreement with a pregnant mother, they may need to determine what steps should be taken to protect the rights of everyone involved. This may include creating an "open adoption" agreement that will allow one or both of the birth parents to maintain contact with the child, or parents may choose to have a "closed adoption" that will keep the identities of the child and the biological parents confidential.

Some of the most common adoption cases involve stepparent adoptions in which a person marries someone who has a child from a previous relationship and wishes to become the child's legal parent. Unless the child's other biological parent is deceased, that parent's parental rights will need to be legally terminated. This can usually be accomplished by having that parent agree to sign over their parental rights. However, if a parent refuses to do so, litigation may be necessary to show why their parental rights should be terminated, such as because they have not played an active role in raising the child, because they have failed to pay child support, because they are incarcerated, or because they previously engaged in acts of domestic violence or child abuse.

Contact Our Fort Worth Adoption Lawyers

Even what may seem like a simple adoption case can easily become complicated due to the legal requirements that must be met and the steps that must be taken to protect the rights of the child, the biological parents, and the adoptive parents. Regardless of your situation, our attorneys can provide invaluable help during the complicated adoption process. We can assist with a wide variety of adoption cases, including situations involving grandparents, other family members, or people who wish to adopt someone who has already reached adulthood. To learn more about how we can help you complete the adoption process successfully, set up a free consultation by contacting us at 817-349-8120.