Adoption

WHAT IS ADOPTION?

An adoption occurs when a person other than a child’s biological parent assumes the legal rights and responsibilities for the care and support of the child. The biological parent’s rights must be terminated before the child can be adopted. In many cases, this occurs voluntarily. In other cases, if the court has already deemed that a state agency is responsible for a child, the agency may petition to have the natural parent’s rights terminated. It can be difficult for prospective adoptive parents to navigate the legal process of assuming the custody and care of a child, especially since adoption laws vary by state. A New York adoption lawyer from the Albany-area office of GTD Law will provide the legal guidance that adoptive parents need to successfully adopt a child.

TYPES OF ADOPTION

Our adoption attorneys handle several types of adoptions:

• Agency adoption: The adoptive parents adopt a child through a private or public adoption agency.
• Independent or private adoption: The adoptive parents bypass an agency and, either through another party or on their own, work out an arrangement with the biological parents.
• Relative adoption: A relative of the biological parent, either through blood or marriage, adopts the child; common examples are stepparent or grandparent adoptions. A relative adoption is a private adoption and all of the requirements for private adoptions apply.
• International adoption: The prospective adoptive parents adopt a child from another country. The adoptive parents are responsible for obtaining an immigrant visa for the child, paying for travel-related costs, and satisfying any other agency requirements. 

CONTACT OUR NEW YORK ADOPTION LAWYERS - LOCATED IN GLENVILLE

If you need representation in an adoption case, contact the attorneys at our Glenville office. We serve Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga, and other areas throughout the Capital District.