There are a variety of legal aspects involved in adoption and having the support of a lawyer who can advise you on the law can be an invaluable asset during this time in your life. At Tully Rinckey PLLC, our team of family law attorneys are knowledgeable in the procedures and requirements surrounding adoption. We’ll make sure you understand the issues concerning your specific form of adoption.

We are able to guide you through the following types of adoption:

Agency Adoption
Adoptions through private or public agencies operate differently, but both work towards the same goal. Private agencies are usually run by charities or social service agencies and generally place children who have been given to them by biological parents. Public agencies are run by the state and generally place children who are in foster care or have become wards of the state.

Identified Adoption
An identified adoption takes place when the adoptive parents and birth parents connect with each other directly or through an intermediary. Either the adopting parents find a willing birth mother and begin the adoption process or the pregnant woman finds a family herself that she would like to have adopt her child.

Independent Adoption
Independent adoptions can be arranged with or without an agency’s help, but require the legal work to be completed by an attorney. They are based on the concept of open adoptions, where the birth mother knows who will be adopting the child. The two parties either meet or make contact via phone or letter before the actual adoption takes place.

International Adoption
Unlike domestic adoptions, international adoptions involve a child who is a citizen of another country. In these cases it is important to have legal guidance regarding the strict immigration requirements for adopting a child from a foreign country. International adoptions are commonly made from China, Korea, Russia, Eastern Europe, Central and South America, and India.

Relative, Grandparent and Stepparent Adoption
Most relative adoptions are grandparent adoptions or ones by stepparents, although aunts, uncles, cousins or other relatives may also adopt a child who is a member of their family. With these types of adoptions, the birth mother generally feels confident that the child will be safe and loved by the family member. These adoptions can also happen later in life involving the adoption of adults.

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