Helping You Build Your Family Through Adoption
For those considering adoption or curious about how it works, it is vital to have a Miami adoption attorney on your side. At Law Office of Ada M. Barreto, P.A., we recognize just how wonderful it is that you are attempting to offer a deserving child a stable home. Although adoption is a wonderful life experience and, in the end, a satisfying one, it can be quite complex and challenging to resolve by yourself.
Ready to speak with us? We offer case evaluations. Call 305-709-5725 to schedule yours.
Our legal team has considerable experience in guiding clients through adoptions, with two decades of experience in family law matters. Should you choose to work with our firm, you will be rewarded with passionate, strong legal counsel.
We can help you with a variety of adoption issues, including:
- Open and closed adoptions
- Stepparents adopting
- Grandparents adopting grandchildren
- Foster parents adopting
- Same-sex couples adopting
- Parental rights termination
Understanding Your Rights And Responsibilities
Welcoming a new member into your family through adoption can be exciting: You are providing a loving and caring environment for a child deserving of a stable home. Although joyous, adoption can have various impacts on the lives of everyone involved. After the adoption is complete, the birth parents are relieved of their parental and financial responsibilities, which get transferred to you as the adoptive parent. Depending on the circumstances, the birth parents could lose ties with the child or they could maintain legal rights to communicate with them. Our attorney can help you understand the different types of adoption and your rights and responsibilities as an adoptive parent.
Who Can Adopt A Child?
In Florida, any adult with a good moral character who can provide a safe and nurturing environment and can financially support a child can adopt. This can include single adults, married couples, stepparents, homeowners and renters. Under the law, people with physical disabilities and LGBT individuals or couples cannot be prohibited from adopting.
In some cases, a person convicted of a felony might be disqualified from adopting a child. Specific offenses such as domestic violence, child abuse, violent crimes and drug-related crimes could render a person ineligible for pursuing adoption.
What Is The Adoption Procedure?
The court must first find that grounds exist to terminate the biological parent-child relationship. After the court issues this order, you must wait 30 days to submit a petition with the clerk of court to finalize the adoption. If the child is placed in your home, however, the waiting period is 90 days. For stepparent or close relative adoptions, you do not have to wait to finalize the process; this can occur simultaneously with or immediately after termination of biological parental rights.
Before the adoption is finalized, you must attend a hearing, during which documents and testimony are presented to the judge for consideration. You must also have received a favorable report from the agency or social worker reviewing your case. If all legal requirements are met, the judge will sign an order giving you rights to the child.
Although having a child or adopting one is a blessing, there are many laws to navigate, and difficulties may arise. We advise that you do not go through this process alone, but instead have a Miami lawyer on your side who genuinely cares about your case. Whatever your individual circumstances, the procedure for adoption can be quite time-consuming and confusing.
Contact Our Firm Today!
The outcome of your case is truly important to us, and you can rely on us to provide you with support and sound legal guidance throughout the process. We look forward to hearing from you soon and having the opportunity to help you through the adoption process. We can also provide family law services in Spanish.
Call us today at 305-709-5725 and allow us to assist you every step of the way.