Adoption Lawyer
Under Washington State family law, an adoption can occur after one or both biological parents' rights have been terminated by a court. Sometimes termination is involuntary, and sometimes one or both biological parents agree to termination so that a child may be adopted by a new family or a step-parent. In any case, the assistance of an adoption attorney is advisable and in some cases is required by the law.
McKinley Irvin family law attorneys have represented many clients in adoption cases, particularly in step-parent and second parent adoptions.
Step Parent Adoption
Perhaps the most common form of adoption is step-parent adoption, also referred to as second parent adoption. In this proceeding a parent agrees to terminate his or her parental rights in order to allow a child to be adopted by the other parent's new spouse or domestic partner. This is a relatively straight forward process if all parties are in agreement and the proposed adoptive parent is, 1) approved by the social worker who conducts an investigation called a home study, and 2) the court gives final approval. Without a termination agreement or forced termination for other reasons, the process can be substantially more difficult, if not impossible.
Agency Adoption
When adopting through an adoption agency, the agency will first conduct an investigation of the potential adoptive parents, which will later or simultaneously include a home study investigation and report by a social worker. If the results of the investigation are positive, the agency will then assist the adoptive parents in finding a child to adopt. Once a match is made, the adoptive parents file a petition for adoption with the court, and the biological parents sign documents which terminate their parental rights and otherwise consent to the adoption. An adoption lawyer represents the adoptive parents, and a different adoption attorney provides advice and counsel to the biological parents.
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