Texas Adoption Attorneys

• Establishing legal guidelines for open/closed adoptions
• Creating safeguards to protect adoptees involved in relative adoptions
• Responding to biological parents/surrogates who petition for rights

Issues Involved in the Decision to Adopt

The decision to adopt a child can be one of the most rewarding, joyous, and altruistic moments of a person’s life. It can be the start of a richer, happier future for both parent and child.

A primary concern of couples who choose to adopt is consent. In addition, many decisions must be made about the level of contact, if any, the birth parents will have with the child and the finalization of the adoption.

Adoptions give rise to an array of complex legal issues such as:

• What happens if a biological parent or surrogate has second thoughts?
• What if the biological parents reach out several years later and would like to see their child?
• Can the biological parents petition for rights?
• What are the legal guidelines for an open/closed adoption?
• If adopting the child of a relative who cannot meet their parental obligations, what safeguards need to be in place?
• What does an adopting parent need to know about their rights and obligations before legally adopting a stepchild, grandchild or foster child?

These are valid questions when considering adoption. But you don’t need to let the process intimidate you. A Texas adoption lawyer from Goranson Bain Ausley can walk you through all of these issues step by step, providing the legal and emotional support you need to extend your family.

How the Adoption Process Works in Texas

There are procedural differences between private adoptions and adopting through the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS); however, the law governing adoptions in Texas requires the same basic steps.

These are the steps in the adoption process:

Information meeting: In addition to meeting age requirements and being able to pass a criminal background check, you must be willing to go through every step in the adoption process. This meeting informs you about the requirements and steps and lets you ask preliminary questions.

Preparation meeting: Next, you meet with DFPS staff to further assess if adoption is right for you while allowing the staff to assess your qualifications.

Training: Texas provides a 35-hour Parent Resource Information Development Education (PRIDE) course that includes instruction regarding basic child care along with specific considerations for each prospective adoptive parent. Prospective adoptive parents also participate in three additional training and certification programs outside of the PRIDE program, each designed to further educate the adoptive parents about meeting the needs of their adoptive child.

Home visit: Expect a home visit from a DFPS caseworker to review your personal history, lifestyle, experience caring for children, and many other factors designed to determine whether you are an appropriate candidate for adoption. Each member of your household, including other children, is interviewed so that a complete picture of the prospective family unit can be developed.

Each step you complete prior to beginning the adoption process prepares your family to bring a new child into your home and helps ensure a seamless integration with your family. These steps are basically the same for families who wish to open their homes to children in need of foster care.