Adoption Law
Adoption Law
Delaware residents over the age of 21 who have no criminal record involving child-related crimes may be eligible for adoption. Prospective parents need to prove they can provide financially for a child and have room for a child in their home before they can adopt.
Before adopting in Delaware, you will need to agree to a home study, a process to evaluate your fitness for adoption and to determine what type of adoption might be best for you. As part of the process, you will agree to fingerprinting and a background check. You will also need to answer personal questions about your marriage (if you’re married), your health, your finances, your work and other areas of your life.
Working With an Adoption Attorney in Delaware
Adoption can be a wonderful way to expand your family and to open your heart and home to a child in need. While it’s an emotional process, it’s also a legal one. Working with an adoption lawyer in Newark Delaware or your community ensures protection for both your family and the child you are adopting.
Delaware adoption lawyers can do several things to assist you:
- They can negotiate adoption agency contracts to make the terms fairer for you while protecting the child.
- They can ensure all the paperwork is filed and your adoption is legal.
- They can work to ensure the rights of birth parents are correctly terminated before the adoption.
- They can handle any issues that arise — such as a third party contesting the adoption.
- They can protect the rights of GLBT, disabled or other adoptive parents who may face discrimination in the adoption process.
- They can offer advice and help you devise an adoption plan.
- They can review contracts and agreements to ensure that everything is done correctly and that you aren’t charged excessive fees.
- They can ensure the adoption and any immigration issues involved are resolved fully legally — helping you avoid costly legal issues later.
In many cases, you may be told you don’t need an attorney. For example, an adoption agency may claim they will handle all the legal details for you. Nevertheless, working with an adoption attorney in Delaware is a wise precaution.
Adoption
If you are adopting internationally, are adopting an infant from a family or are a non-traditional adoptive family, you may run into immigration issues, birth parent issues or discriminatory practices — having an attorney on your side may be helpful in these situations.
Even when dealing with an adoption agency, you’ll benefit from a legal professional looking over everything and working with you to ensure your new family is fully protected by all relevant laws.
By having adoption law firms in Delaware handle the details of your adoption, you can put more of your focus on your new family. When you work with an adoption attorney at Walstrom Law, you get the compassionate family law assistance and guidance you need on the journey to adoption.
We can help you avoid some of the heartache that can happen when legal issues or complications prevent a family from adopting. From offering negotiating expertise to our contract knowledge, Walstrom Law looks out for the interests of your family and your adopted child. Contact adoption attorney Megan Walstrom, Esq. in our Newark/Glasgow office, today.
- Adoption of special needs or older children
- Adoption of an infant
- International adoption of a child from another country
- Domestic adoption of a child in the U.S.
- Adoption through an adoption agency
- Adoption through an attorney and the birth parents
Depending on your situation, some forms of adoption may be acceptable while others are not.
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Family Law
Matters of family law such as divorce, child custody, adoption and alimony which can stem from sensitive situations and require a professional and compassionate family law attorney in Walstrom Law LLC.