Bringing a child into your family through adoption should be a cause for joy and celebration. To ensure that the adoption is legally completed and problems do not arise in the future, it’s important to turn to a family law adoption attorney for support.
You don’t want to wait for unforeseen issues to slow your adoption efforts. A helpful Texas family law attorney can provide considerable help up front. The sooner you enlist an attorney’s aid in carrying out your plans, the smoother the process will be.
Learn about the value of working with an attorney to complete your adoption with confidence.
5 Ways a Family Law Adoption Lawyer Can Serve You
The benefits of having an attorney work on your case can vary depending on several factors, including your attorney’s skill level, the amount of time they’re involved, and the specific circumstances of your adoption (e.g. international adoptions, private adoptions, stepparent adoptions, working with adoption agencies, and other types of adoptions).
Generally, however, you can expect a skilled family law adoption attorney to deliver the following services.
1. Provide Education on Current Adoption Laws in Texas
Before you can complete an adoption, you need to know the Texas state laws that apply to adoptions and how they might impact your case. However, trying to hunt down this information is not a great use of your time.
Instead, an attorney can walk you through the legal matters that most apply to your situation and explain how the law affects your goals. A knowledgeable attorney can provide you with a clear picture of the legal aspects involved in your case so that you can spend your time focused on your family.
2. Prepare and File Required Documents
Because adoption is a legal process, certain documents must be prepared, served to the appropriate parties, and filed with the court.
The documents that apply to your case will depend on the specific facts of your situation. An attorney can help you determine the appropriate paperwork to file, which will streamline the adoption and help you stay on top of what must be filed and when.
3. Anticipate and Address Various Challenges
Any adoption case can present challenges, even ones where there’s no objection from the child’s biological parents.
For example, missing paperwork could result in an uncontested adoption being delayed until the necessary files are located or replaced. This issue can be especially frustrating if you thought your adoption would proceed smoothly, only to find it suddenly halted by avoidable obstacles.
By retaining a family law attorney at the outset, you can identify and avoid potential problems you might otherwise face. This effort will give you a much more realistic picture of the adoption timeline and how long it will take to finalize.
4. Appear in Court When Necessary
Depending on the nature of the adoption, you may need to attend multiple court hearings before the adoption process is complete. Some of these court sessions may be contentious and demand that you present evidence that meets a legal burden before your case can proceed. Failing to meet this burden could mean having your case dismissed or delayed.
Your attorney will be able to anticipate issues that may arise during each hearing, help you understand what information to provide, and help you provide answers to key questions. The last step is especially important if you are required to give testimony.
5. Provide Post-Adoption Support
Receiving the court’s approval is a key milestone on the journey of creating a new adoptive family. Once the process is complete, you’ll need to obtain new identification for the child and welcome them as a full member of your household.
Unfortunately, this stage can be as confusing as the adoption process itself. It’s easy to put off or forget essential steps in the happy aftermath of a successful adoption.
Your attorney can help you fully complete the process by following through with you. An attorney will provide you with the resources to officially move forward as you start this new chapter in your family’s life.
Parker & Aguilar Can Support You With Your Texas Adoption
An experienced and dedicated family law adoption attorney is easy to find when you turn to Parker & Aguilar. With years of experience practicing family law in the state of Texas and a team of attorneys committed to client success, our respected law firm will be there for you every step of the way.
Our attorneys support families in Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston, and Matagorda Counties. If you live in one of these counties, contact us immediately for adoption support.
Contact our Angleton office at 979-267-7660 or our Sugar Land office at 281-944-5485 to schedule a consultation with our attorneys. We look forward to supporting your family’s growth.