Experienced Texas Adoption Attorneys

Work With a Skilled Adoption Attorney in Texas
Adopting a child is one of the happiest and most rewarding times in a person’s life. However, the journey from deciding to adopt to welcoming a child into your home involves many steps. Our team of family adoption lawyers in Texas is here to support you every step of the way. At Goranson Bain Ausley, you can connect with an adoption lawyer in Texas who has assisted couples in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Midland, Plano, and San Antonio through many private adoptions.
You can choose from several avenues for adoption, and our Texas adoptions attorneys can detail the benefits and drawbacks associated with each. Their in-depth knowledge of the adoption process can help you choose the right path for your family. Our adoption attorneys in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Midland, Plano, and San Antonio can also help you create custom legal strategies for any potential hurdles including:
- Developing legal guidelines for open/closed adoptions
- Establishing safeguards for adoptees in relative adoptions
- Responding to petitions for rights from biological parents and surrogates
Whether you work with our San Antonio adoption lawyers, our Dallas adoption lawyers, or any other team from our firm, you can rest assured that your adoption will be handled with skill, experience, and care.
Issues Involved in the Decision to Adopt
The decision to adopt a child can be one of the most rewarding, joyous, and altruistic decisions in 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 after 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?
- How do I choose the right adoption lawyer near me for my situation?
- 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 should adopting parents know about their rights and obligations before adopting a foster child, grandchild, or stepchild?
These are valid questions when considering adoption. But you don’t need to let the process intimidate you. A Texas adoption lawyer in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Midland, Plano, or San Antonio 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
The process for private adoptions and adopting through the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) have several differences, but all of the adoptions in Texas follow the same basic steps. 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.
These are the steps in the adoption process:
- Information Meeting: 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 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.
Work With a Trusted Texas Adoption Attorney to Develop Your Plan
When you need accomplished adoption attorneys near you, you can trust the skilled legal team at Goranson Bain Ausley to help you create you family. We understand that the legal side of adoption can seem intimidating, but our experienced adoption lawyers in Dallas, Austin, Plano, Midland, Fort Worth, Granbury, and San Antonio can help make it as stress-free as possible. When you work with us, you will have experienced adoption lawyers in Texas by your side who can guide you through the process step by step. We can also help you compare the advantages and disadvantages of private adoptions versus going through an agency. An adoption attorney in Texas from our firm will assist you in creating an adoption strategy that is right for you and your family and provide all the legal and emotional support you need to extend your family.
Whether you need an adoption attorney in Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Granbury, Midland, Plano, or San Antonio, we can offer you comprehensive resources, an experienced team, and a strong commitment to helping you execute your adoption plan. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with an adoption attorney in Austin, Dallas, or any of our other convenient locations. We look forward to helping you with this exciting journey.
Awards & Credentials
- Thomas P. Goranson 1997
- Thomas L. Ausley 1997
- Diana S. Friedman 1998
- Thomas A. Greenwald 2003
- Kathryn J. Murphy 2004
- Eric Robertson 2007
- Kelly Ausley-Flores 2009
- Kristal Thomson 2014
- Aimee Pingenot Key 2015
- Kristen A. Algert 2017
- P. Lindley Bain 2020
- Ryan R. Bauerle 2022
- Lindsey Obenhaus 2023
- Charla Davies 2024
- Hayley Collins Blair 2021 2018
- Lindsey Obenhaus 2024 2023 2022 2021
- Katie Flowers Samler 2020 2019 2018
- Kathryn J. Murphy 2024 2023 2020 2019 2018 2017 2010 2009 2008
- Aimee Pingenot Key 2024 2020 2019 2017
- Thomas A. Greenwald 2022 2018 2012 2011 2009 2008
- Paula Larsen 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2008
- Diana S. Friedman 2017 2016 2015 2013
- Angeline Lindley Bain 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009 2008
- Thomas P. Goranson 2011 2009 2008
- Beth E. Maultsby 2010
- Thomas L. Ausley 1980
- Thomas P. Goranson 1980
- Gary L. Nickelson 1984
- Kathryn J. Murphy 1995
- Diana S. Friedman 1996
- Kristen A. Algert 1997
- Thomas A. Greenwald 1997
- Eric Robertson 1997
- Kelly Ausley-Flores 2000
- Curtis W. Harrison 2002
- Cindy V. Tisdale 2003
- Jeff Shore 2006
- Clint Westhoff 2006
- Jeff Domen 2009
- Kristal Thomson 2009
- Angel J. Berbarie 2010
- P. Lindley Bain 2012
- Aimee Pingenot Key 2012
- Kevin Davidson 2017
- Charla Davies 2017
- Rob Frazer 2018
- Ryan R. Bauerle 2018
- Hayley Collins Blair 2019
- Lindsey Obenhaus 2019
- Katie Flowers Samler 2019
- Jonathan James 2020
- Chris Nickelson 2021
- Chandler Rice Winslow 2023
- Kristiana Butler 2024
- Cassidy Pearson 2024
- Angelica Rolong Cormier 2024