Choosing an Adoption Attorney is an important step in the adoption journey. Lunn Law LLC and Attorney Tiffany R. Lunn-White do not handle all types of adoptions. However, there are six types of adoptions in Georgia. They are:
Adoption by foreign degree: There is evidence of the adoption of a child from another country. The child must have a valid visa.
Adoption by a relative (s): An aunt, uncle, great grandparent, great-grandparent, great aunt, great uncle, sister or brother of child adopts the child. The child is of blood or marriage relationship to the person adopting.
Adoption by third party: Someone who is not a stepparent or relative adopts the child. These adoptions do not involve an agency.
Adult adoption: The adoptee is over the age of 18.
Public or private agency adoption: The state or a private agency places the child with the adoptive parent(s).
Step-parent adoption: A stepparent adopts the child.
Lunn Law LLC handles Step-parent Adoptions and Relative Adoptions. Firstly, step-parent adoption is when a biological parent marries and the step-parent/spouse of the biological parent desires to become a legal parent to his/her spouse's biological child. Secondly, if the court grants the step-parent adoption then it terminates the parental rights of the other biological parent. In some cases, our law practice also assists biological parents to defend against the termination of their parental rights.
There is one procedure for when both biological parents are living and another procedure is one biological parent is deceased when considering a step-parent adoption. If both biological parents are living then the step-parent must obtain the surrender of rights documentation from the biological parent that is not the step-parent's spouse. One must prove certain facts in the absence of such documentation for the court to rule on an involuntary termination.
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In Relative Adoptions, the person desiring to adopt the minor child is a relative of that child (such as an uncle, aunt, grandparent). The specific section of Georgia law that outlines the adoption of minors by their relatives reads as follows:
“a child who has any living parent or guardian may be adopted by a relative who is related by blood or marriage to the child as a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, great aunt, great uncle, or sibling only if each such living parent and each such guardian has voluntarily and in writing surrendered to that relative and any spouse of such relative all of his or her rights to the child for the purpose of enabling that relative and any such spouse to adopt the child. In the case of a child 14 years of age or older, the written consent of the child to his adoption must be given and acknowledged in the presence of the court.”
These situations arise more often than one might think. A relative may seek an adoption attorney because they are already raising the minor child as their own child and simply want to make the relationship legal. The circumstance usually begins because one or both of the birth parents are not in a position to properly care for the minor child.
In conclusion, it is extremely important that one consults an adoption attorney because of the complexities regarding adoption. To speak with family law and adoption attorney, Tiffany R. Lunn-White, Esq. of Lunn Law LLC, contact us online or call Lunn Law LLC.
