Adoption Law Services
What our Adoption Law Services include:
- Private adoption (often referred to as independent, identified or non-agency adoption)
- Agency adoption (both private agencies and county/state agencies)
- Intrastate adoption (within Pennsylvania)
- Interstate adoption (when Birthparents and Adopting Parent(s) live in different states)
- Domestic adoption (within the United States)
- Foreign or International adoption (a child is coming from another country)
- Step-parent adoption
- Relative adoption (where a relative of the child is adopting the child, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister)
- SWAN adoption (Statewide Adoption Network)
- Contested adoptions
- Adult Adoptions (where an adult is adopted by another adult)
We have been involved with over 4,000 adoption matters, ranging from consulting with adoptive parents or consulting with birthparents or attorneys, consulting with and representing adoption agencies, to facilitating the placements, handling the legal process, attending court hearing(s) to litigating contested termination of rights cases.
It is our privilege to work with birthparents and adoptive parents in their adoption plan. We have the highest respect for our birthparents who make selfless decisions of love for their children. We see our adoptive parents as people with a special love who receive a child who, although not a biological child, to be a part of their family as if that child was their own biological child, and love them and provide the family and nurturing that the birthparents so desire for their child. Adoptions are not “just another legal case” to us: They are a ministry of love and caring that we are entrusted with to see that that the legal procedures are done with expertise and ease. We strive to assure that all members of the adoption plan know that they are respected and treated with care and compassion and that their needs are being met with competency and confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Do I Start the Adoption Process?
How Do I Find a Good Adoption Attorney?
Do I Wait Until the Baby or Child is in My Home to Call an Attorney?
What Services Do You Provide to Birth Mothers and Birth Fathers?
What is the Difference Between Open and Closed Adoption?
What are Adoption Agency Fees?
What Private Adoption Costs Are There?
Are There Adoption Agency Fees if it is a Private Adoption?
How Much Should I Expect to Pay in Adoption Attorney Fees?
Will I Have to Pay Medical Bills and How Much?
What Costs am I Allowed to Pay to Birth Parents in an Adoption?
Adoption Screening Process – What do I have to do?
What is a Home Study or Family Study?
What is a SWAN Adoption?
What is the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children?
What Does the Adoption Legal Process Look Like?
What is Adoption Assistance?
How do I Claim My Adoptive Child on My Income Tax if I Don’t have a Social Security Number Yet?
What is the Adoption Tax Credit? What are Qualified Adoption Expenses?
