STEP PARENT ADOPTION LAWYER

Adoption can be one of the most wonderful and rewarding things a person can do for a child and their family. Our law firm represents families for step parent adoptions. We do not do open and private adoptions. Our firm has experience as both a Guardian ad Litem and Attorney at Litem, in addition, as a prosecutor in the child welfare division of the Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office. It gives us great pleasure to take on a step parent adoption case where the end result is a child being adopted by a loving step parent.

Step Parent Adoption & Termination of Parental Rights

Many people wonder why there is a need to terminate the parental rights of the other parent in order to adopt. Step parent adoptions are sometimes called adoption-terminations, because legally, you must first terminate the biological parent's rights in order to adopt. This can be done voluntarily by one side (called surrendering parental rights) or by filing a Termination Petition against the other parent.

In the event that our office, can not locate the biological parent to get his/her consent for the adoption, we will prepare an affidavit of diligent search and request that their parental rights are terminated in order to finalize the adoption.

Our family law office will clearly explain your rights as a step parent in the adoption process in great detail.