Parentage
Parentage that holds in every state
A birth certificate, a marriage and a clinic’s consent form each help. None is as durable as a court order. Many families, especially same-sex couples, unmarried parents and parents who conceived with a donor or a carrier, add a judgment of parentage or a confirmatory adoption so that both parents’ rights are recognized wherever the family travels or moves.
It is a short process and a quiet one, usually a single hearing. We prepare the papers and the family, and the order that results lives in the same folder as the passports.
What we handle
Judgments of parentage before or after a birth
Confirmatory and second-parent adoption
Reviews of an existing birth certificate or acknowledgment
Stepparent adoption for a spouse or partner
Orders for families who have moved, or may move
The orders
Which order fits which family
We will tell you plainly if your family does not need one.
- Declares
Judgment of parentage
A court declares who the legal parents are. It suits families formed through a carrier or a donor, and it is often available before the birth.
- Adopts
Confirmatory adoption
A second parent adopts a child who is already theirs in everyday life and, often, on paper. A court decree is recognized in other states in a way a certificate may not be.
- Adopts
Stepparent adoption
A stepparent becomes a legal parent with the consent of the other legal parent, or of the court. It is the most common adoption in the country.
- Reads
Review only
Sometimes the right answer is that your documents are sound. We read them, say so in writing and charge for the reading alone.
Questions about parentage
We are married and both on the birth certificate. Do we still need an order?
Not every family does. A court order is stronger evidence than a certificate, and it is portable. If you travel or may move, many families choose to have one.
Is a confirmatory adoption the same as adopting a stranger’s child?
No. The child is already your child in everything but a court decree. The process is shorter and the hearing is brief, though some courts still ask for a home study.
What if we are not married?
Unmarried parents can establish parentage by a court order, and in some places by a signed acknowledgment. We tell you which route is firmer for your family.
Can you help if we have already moved?
Yes. The court of the state where you live, or where the child was born, may be able to act. We work out which, and which is faster, on the first call.
Not sure what your family needs?
Write what you have: a certificate, a marriage date, a clinic form. We will tell you what it does and does not do.