Find an Adoption Lawyer

Adoption law is governed by each state, as all 50 states have their own statues concerning adoption. Adoption is a process through statutory law in accordance with the laws set by the state where the child and parents reside, in which the natural parents of a child give up any rights or obligations toward their child and the adoptive parents assume these rights and obligations. When a child is adopted, their birth parents are no longer legally responsible for their child and the new adoptive parents become legally responsible for the child's entire wellbeing, including his health, education and welfare. Different Types of Adoption An open adoption is when a biological mother does not give up all of her rights to her child and is allowed visitation rights. A step-parent adoption can occur under different circumstances, including: if a biological parent dies and the new spouse wants to adopt the child; if the biological parents divorce and a new spouse wants to adopt the child even though the other biological parent is still alive (in this case the other parent must give consent or be deemed an unfit parent to do so); or if a child is born outside marriage, the birth parent later remarries, and the step-parent wants to adopt the child. Continued... By Margie Monin