Adoption Attorneys in The Woodlands Helping Couples Bring their Adoption Dreams to Life

There are more than 400,000 children in foster care in the United States alone, according to adoptionnetwork.com. Nearly 115,000 children are awaiting adoption because they can’t return to their families. Sometimes parents give their children up because of living conditions, substance abuse issues, or other personal reasons.

Adoption is a solution for biological parents that cannot keep their children and couples that want to become parents and expand their families. Adopting a child is compassionate, but it is not for the faint of heart. Couples must endure months, sometimes years, of waiting and setbacks to adopt their child.

There are several ways to adopt a child, and every process is different, especially if it involves relative and stepparent adoptions. On average, adopting a foster child can take six to 18 months, a newborn two to seven years, and international adoptions anywhere from six to several years. The legal system, however, gives prospective adoptive parents an advantage as it can speed up the process and help couples avoid the many things that can go wrong in the adoption process.

Our family law firm helps couples become parents while protecting their rights. Our adoption legal services cover private adoption, relative adoption, stepparent adoption, foster care, and international adoption.

Adoption is an exciting time for prospective parents, and we want to make it as stress-free and safe as possible. Book an initial consultation to discuss your legal options with our legal team to get started: 713-766-3733.

How Do I Prepare for Adoption?

Adoption is a journey filled with many twists and turns, but the destination is worth it for couples eager to become parents. You must arm yourself with adoption and legal resources like our adoption attorneys to guide your steps. We help you understand Texas adoption laws, your legal rights, and other considerations as part of the adoption process.

Some prospective parents start the adoption process unclear about types of adoption. There is no one way to adopt a child, only many different ways to expand your family. It is worth exploring different adoption types, including private, relative, stepparent, and foster care to see how they fit with your family and specific family planning goals.

The adoption process is a commitment on multiple levels. A lot of paperwork and “homework” is involved if you choose a private, international, or relative adoption. The following are steps in the process for certain types of adoption:

• Home study (likely multiple home studies)
• Matching and placement
• Termination of parental rights
• Additional legal requirements

We help you meet adoption requirements and facilitate the adoption process to bring you one step closer to your new child. Contact our adoption lawyers to discuss your adoption case: 713-766-3733.

What Can Go Wrong in the Adoption Process?

We help adoptive parents emotionally prepare for all of the things that can go right and wrong in the adoption process, as well as afterward, so we can prevent any problems. Setting expectations is important as we want our clients to have confidence in every decision they make.

There are many things prospective parents fear in the adoption process. They include:

• Relinquishment: A birthmother can withdraw from the adoption process without consequence. We avoid this limbo and ensure the papers are signed so the adoptive parents assume all legal rights to the child before it’s too late.
• Reclamation: Birth parents that decide to reclaim their child years later is an adoptive parents’ biggest fear. We take proper legal steps to protect adoptive parents from this nightmare scenario.
• Future involvement: Sometimes, biological parents try to overturn an adoption years later. We ensure adoptive parents have an agreement in place so any arrangement, or lack thereof, is legally enforceable.
• Future changes: Any changes to existing agreements between adoptive and biological parents must be agreed upon by both parties.
• Differing laws: Open adoption contracts are governed by state law, and every state is different. Sometimes siblings may be granted visitation rights, so it’s essential to cover all bases to protect your child and family from unexpected issues.

Our adoption attorneys at Morgan Bourque Attorney at Law help adoptive parents focus on the joys of adoption and protecting their rights.

What are the Adoption Requirements in Texas?

There are basic requirements related to the adoption process, though the specifics depend on the type of adoption a couple is pursuing. For example, the legal process involved in adopting a child from the Texas foster care system will look much different than international adoption. Additionally, some adoption agencies will have standards and requirements for prospective parents.

We help adoptive parents understand and comply with all necessary state and adoption agency requirements where applicable. The most common questions regarding adoption requirements include age, relationship, financial status, health, and criminal background.

The following are examples of adoption requirements in Texas:

• A person does not have to be married to adopt in Texas, but some American adoption agencies require a couple to be married for at least two years.
• Same-sex couples can adopt
• There is no set minimum age to adopt, though many Texas foster care agencies say foster parents must be at least 21 years old.
• Depending on the crime, individuals with a criminal background may or may not be disqualified to adopt
• A person must be able to meet the physical and financial demands of taking care of a child

To learn more about adoption requirements and if you are eligible, contact our law firm to further discuss the adoption process: 713-766-3733.

Should I Hire an Adoption Lawyer?

There is no shortage of tough decisions involved in the adoption process. Adoption is an emotional and complex process for the child’s biological parents, birth parents, and adoptive parents. The legal adoption process protects everyone involved from possible backlash and other legal issues.

Our adoption lawyers help prospective parents navigate the ups and downs of adoption and help them get one step closer to realizing their dreams of adoption without the stress and hassle.

We are a full-service family law firm, and our attorneys are experienced in working through various challenging family law issues, including adoption. We are intimately familiar with important adoption laws and offer adoptive parents assistance related to private adoptions, stepparent adoptions, and international adoptions.

There are multiple moving parts to adoption, from other attorneys, adoption agencies, biological parents, and other parties. We handle many adoption cases and ensure our clients have a seamless experience and transition to parenthood.

Get consistent and experienced legal counsel to pursue one of life’s most exciting and joyous adventures with Morgan Bourque Attorney at Law. Schedule your consultation with any of our adoption attorneys to discuss your adoption case: 713-766-3733.