Adoption
Adopting a child, from the home study to finalization
An adoption runs on two clocks. One is yours: the waiting, the introductions, the first weeks at home. The other is the court’s: consents, a home study, in some places a period of supervision, and a finalization hearing that gives your family its permanent footing.
We work on the second clock so that you can live on the first. We represent the adopting parents. We review agency and attorney agreements before you sign them, prepare the petition and the papers a court asks for, and stand with you at each hearing, including the last one, which is almost always a happy room.
What we handle
Agency and independent adoptions
Stepparent and second-parent adoptions
Relative and kinship adoptions
Adopting a foster child already in your home
Placements that cross state lines, with local counsel
The usual order
Five stages of an adoption, and who does each one
The order varies by state and by kind of adoption. This is the shape most families see.
- 01
Step 1: Before you choose
Read the agency or attorney agreement with us. Fees, refund terms and what happens if a placement ends are the clauses that matter most.
- 02
Step 2: The home study
A social worker meets you, visits the home and collects references and clearances. We prepare you for it and read the report before it is filed.
- 03
Step 3: Placement and consents
A birth parent’s consent must be given in a form, and at a time, that state law sets. We check both before anyone relies on it.
- 04
Step 4: The waiting period
Some places supervise the placement for a time before a court will finalize. It is mostly waiting, with a report or two.
- 05
Step 5: Finalization
A short hearing, a judge’s signature and a decree. We then order certified copies and walk you through the new birth certificate.
What families ask before they adopt
Can we adopt as a single parent or as an unmarried couple?
In most places, yes. The home study asks the same questions of every household: how you live, who supports you, how you would handle hard days. It is not a test of what your family looks like.
What if a birth parent changes their mind?
When and how consent can be withdrawn is set by state law, and the rules differ a great deal. It is the first thing we check, before a family commits to a placement.
Do we need a lawyer for a stepparent adoption?
A court will want the other legal parent’s consent, or a reason it is not needed. The papers are short, but a mistake in them delays the hearing, so most families have a lawyer prepare them.
Can we adopt a child we are already fostering?
Often. The process starts from the agency’s file, and the court looks at the child’s time with you. We read the file with you and tell you what has to happen next.
Talk through your adoption plan
Whatever stage you are at, a short note is enough to begin.