Virginia Adoption Attorney

If you are planning to adopt, you need an experienced Virginia adoption attorney who can answer your questions and navigate the legal procedures with you.  Give us a call to discuss your adoption case.

read below the process for adoption in virginia

What Are The Different Kinds of Adoptions in Virginia

There are many kinds of adoption recognized by Virginia.  These categories include contested adoption, parental placement adoption, interstate adoption, and more. 

Needless to say, the many different kinds of adoption make adoption laws very complicated.  

Firstly, there is parental placement adoption. 

In this version of adoption, the biological parent directly chooses who will adopt the child. 

Virginia allows the birth parent to choose an individual to adopt the child or a married couple. 

In the case of a single mother putting a child up for adoption with no identified father, the mother and adopting party must make good faith efforts and comply with requirements to obtain the consent of the father. 

If you are trying to adopt and are not sure if you have met the requirements needed, contact the attorneys at American Lawyers Group to have your questions answered. 

Additionally, the parties to adoption must receive special counseling on adoption. 

A home study will also have to be conducted and followed up to make sure the home is appropriate for the child.

Agency adoptions are similar to parental placement but feature an adoption agency as a middle man. 

Here, the mother gives the child to the adoption agency, and it is the agency that now finds the prospective parents. 

The role of the birth mother in this process is growing in recent years. 

Similar to parental placement, the child is placed in the adoptive home for a 6 month probation period and the agency conducts a kind of home study before the adoption is finalized.

What is Step Parent Adoption in Virginia?

One of the most common forms of adoption in Virginia is stepparent adoption. 

This flavor of adoption can be simple when both birth parents consent. 

However, if one parent cannot be found despite diligent effort, they may be notified through a local publication, such as a newspaper. 

If one of the birth parents does not consent, the court can still grant an adoption if the best interest of the child is at odds with the lack of consent. 

Whether the refusal to provide consent is at odds with the best interest of the child is an issue that must be investigated by social services and litigated in court.

Lastly, there are contested adoptions. 

Contested adoptions occur when a biological parent opposes the adoption of the child. 

Virginia courts will still grant adoptions if it finds the adoption to be in the best interest of the child. 

The best interest of the child is a common and important theme of family law in Virginia. 

If you want to adopt and need to show the adoption is in the best interest of the child, you need the skill and experience of the Virginia adoption attorney at American Lawyers Group.

Why Adoption Judges Order Home Studies?

Home Studies, mentioned earlier, are tools used to guarantee the child being adopted will have a good environment for the child. 

Normally, the adopting parents hire an adoption agency to conduct a home study and interviews to make sure the adopting parents are suitable. 

A series of follow-up visits are also conducted in the 6-month probation period before the court finalizes the adoption to ensure the child is being well cared for.

Adoption agencies will conduct similar studies when they facilitate adoption.

Placing a Baby up For Adoption?

Virginia places several responsibilities on the parents placing a child up for adoption.  Firstly, there is some mandatory counseling that Virginia requires under 63.2-1224. 

When the adoption is a parental placement, the mother must appear in court to sign consent for the adoption before a judge.  

You may not receive payment for placing a child up for adoption. 

There are a few exceptions to this general rule such as attorney fees and medical expenses.

Additionally, the parties of adoption have to make good faith efforts to provide honest and accurate information on the father of the child to attorneys, social workers, and the court. 

Failure to provide accurate and honest information about the father can threaten the legitimacy of the adoption.

Why You Need a Virginia Adoption Attorney?

Adoption can be an amazing time in your life.  You can expand your family and provide a better life for a child through adoption. 

To help navigate complex adoption laws, meet requirements set up by Virginia and guarantee that your adoption is granted, you need the Virginia adoption attorneys at American Lawyers group.