Adopting a child into your family is a joyous occasion, but it also requires some complex legal proceedings. If you are planning to adopt a child, you will need to work with an experienced adoption lawyer like ours at Hildebrand Law Office, P.C. Our adoption lawyer, Jennifer E. Hildebrand, has been working in adoption and family law for many years, and she is extraordinarily passionate about her work.
In this article, we’ll go over a few key things she wants you to know about the adoption process.
- Much of the Process is Out of Your Control – The first thing our adoption lawyer wants you to know is that adoption is a complex process involving many parties—such as the biological parents or relatives, DFCS officials, etc.—and so much of the process is out of your control. While it’s understandable to become frustrated with this lack of control, we advise you to accept this state of affairs and instead focus on the things you can control. This will make it easier to stay calm throughout the process and to see it through to the end.
- Patience is Key – In addition, our adoption lawyer wants you to be prepared for long wait times during the process. Adopting a child involves many steps, and each step can take weeks or even months to complete, so we advise you to hang on to your patience. The courts have a duty to take extreme care when placing a child with a new caregiver, which is why the process can feel endless. Just remember that the long wait times give the child welfare officials more opportunities to safeguard the child’s welfare.
- All Adoption Has Some Legal Risk – Lastly, our adoption lawyer wants you to be aware that even the most legally secure adoption is not completely free of risk. Adoption laws are complex, and there will always be some degree of risk that the child’s situation could change. However, Ms. Hildebrand will do everything in her power to keep any such risk to an absolute minimum.