An adoption takes place when parental rights of the birth parents are transferred to the adoptive parents. In an adoption, the adoptive parents become responsible for the child and acquire all legal parental rights for the child. When the adoption is finalized, the court issues a new birth certificate with the adoptive parents’ names as the children’s mother and father at the time of the child’s birth. The court orders that the child’s original birth certificate is sealed and only accessed by entry of a court order.

Adoption can occur within or outside a family. An adoption within a family is routinely called a relative adoption. A relative or stepparent who is responsible for providing guidance, care, and love for a child may formalize their relationship with the child by adopting them. An adoption outside a family is routinely called an unrelated adoption. Most of the laws and regulations concerning adoptions apply to a child who is not related to the person(s) seeking to adopt them.

Thomas Law Group, P.C. provides legal services for adoptions. We begin every case with a confidential consultation in which we discuss your case, develop legal strategies and assess how to best protect your interests. Call us at 866-848-9183 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.