Types of Adoption Available to You

When you are considering adoption, it is important to understand the numerous types of adoption available for you. Whether you are a birth parent or a prospective parent, working with an established adoption attorney can help you determine the course of adoption that best suits your needs. At the Law Offices of Deborah E. Spivack, I am proud to say that I have helped hundreds of families complete successful adoptions and I would be pleased to help you as well. My firm offers legal services in Delaware, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, and I am always willing to meet with parents and discuss the various options available to them.

If you are interested in adoption and you work with my firm, we can discuss the range of options and put together a plan to achieve your goals. I understand the adoption laws of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware and can represent your interests both inside and outside of the court system. Let's discuss some of the following options:

• Domestic Adoptions - Domestic adoptions involve placements of United States children with U.S. families. There are many types of domestic adoption, and the laws vary greatly from state to state.
• Agency Adoptions - Adoption agencies are state-licensed adoption organizations that provide a broad range of adoption-related services, such as matching, homestudies, counseling, placement, and post-placement supervision and reporting. These agencies must maintain certain minimum standards of expertise and training set by their state of licensure to qualify to obtain and maintain a license, as well as maintain insurance and professional standards.I can help you determine if an agency adoption may be a good route for your family.
• Private Adoptions - Private adoptions are person to person (birth parent to adoptive parent), with no intermediary responsible for overseeing the placement or taking custody of the child. Private cases require the parties to implement the many steps needed to complete an adoption, such as determination of the course that will achieve the clients' goals; preparing, negotiating and explaining adoption documents; advocating clients' wishes to third parties such as hospital and prenatal providers; securing medical assistance and public benefits; and pursuing approval of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) offices in the sending and receiving states. I am skilled at representing prospective adoptive parents and birth parents in private adoption cases.
• Same-Sex Adoptions - Same-sex families may face unique challenges to securing equal and full parental rights to their adoptive children due to the patchwork of disparate state laws. We can work together to ensure that your children have all of the rights available in any two-parent family to which they are entitled.
• Stepparent and Second Parent Adoptions - Many families find themselves raising, loving and parenting children who are biologically and legally related to partners from prior relationships. Parents in this role may desire that their legal status match the value of their actual critical role in a child's life. Establishing stepparent parental rights can be important for a child's legal security, emotional well-being, financial future, and to equalize status among siblings raised in the same home. I welcome a chance to discuss whether your facts may lend themselves to establishing parental relationships with children in your care.
• Contested Adoptions - In rare cases, a party may object to termination of rights or adoption by third parties. While state law has made great strides in defining clear deadlines and requirements for parties in interest, litigation may occur and cause stress and uncertainty to your family's future. In these situations, you will need to work with an experienced attorney to provide you with trusted legal representation.

Working with an Adoption Attorney in Philadelphia & the Tri-State Region

They say that you dream of a child while a child dreams of a family. Adoption is a beautiful opportunity to achieve your own dreams while fulfilling those of children in need of parents. Together, you will experience the overwhelming joy of family. When you work with my firm, we can forge a plan to ensure that your interests are heard and that you are an integral voice in the planning for, and protecting of, your child.

If you are looking to pursue the dream of building your family through adopting a child, I encourage you to schedule a consultation with the Law Offices of Deborah E. Spivack. I can help you determine the best course of action based on the facts of your case and ensure that the adoption process proceeds as smoothly as possible. If you have questions or concerns about your eligibility to adopt, contact my firm.