A Houston Adoption Attorney Can Help You Complete Your Family
When it comes to paperwork, there are few legal actions that require more of it than child adoption. Because all parties want the transaction to be completely final, with no ability for it to be reversed, it is imperative that all of the paperwork be done perfectly and that can sometimes take a lot of time. But, with the repercussions of a reversed adoption so devastating to all parties, it is time and money well worth spent. A Houston adoption attorney can help you make sure that you are doing everything you can to have a safe and happy child adoption.
There are a variety of reasons why adopting a child is so difficult. First of all, there are many different kinds of adoptions, open and closed adoptions, private party adoptions, foster adoptions, and international adoptions. Even if you are adopting a local child, one that has been living with you for months, it can still be difficult. Don’t think that only international adoptions are expensive because they all can be.
If you are adopting a foster child, a relative, or a stepchild, then it is a much easier process, though an adoption attorney is still advised. These adoptions often go quickly, especially if the child is old enough to weigh in on the matter.
Houston TX Adoption Lawyers
There is always the need for adoptive parents, and we traditionally think about adoption as something that is undertaken by married couples, but in the state of Texas, any individual who is over eighteen years of age is eligible to adopt. The laws surrounding adoption can be found in Title 36, Chapter 1 of the TX Code, which goes on to state that in addition to meeting the age requirement, one must have resided in the state for at least six months prior to filing for adoption. Adoption is not limited to children; anyone can be adopted in the state of Texas. It is worthwhile to note that once a child has reached the age of 14, his or her permission is required before the adoption can be granted.
In the past, the adoptive and biological parents of adopted children were usually not aware of one another’s identity. This dynamic was in place because it could be harmful to the child or children and unfair and emotionally damaging to the adoptive parents if a biological parent was to change their mind and show up trying to regain custody. This arrangement is known as a “closed adoption,” but now more and more people are opting for what is termed an “open adoption.” When an open adoption is in place both the adoptive parents and the biological parents have each other’s contact information and can communicate if the would like to do so.
If you are interested in possibly adopting a child, you can go through a private, not-for-profit agency that arranges the placement of children, or you can go through the Texas Department of Children’s Services. The Department of Children’s Services is charged with the responsibility of placing children who been neglected or victimized by some sort of abuse, so people who adopt one of these children are truly making a difference. Those who seek to adopt a child in the state of Tennessee are required to complete a 30-hour PATH (Parents as Tender Healers) training program to prepare them for the rigors of taking on the responsibilities that come with adoptive parenting.