Adoptions

Adoptions – A Decision Born From Love

For prospective adoptive parents, adoption is a beautiful and loving choice but making the decision and figuring out how to begin can be both exciting and overwhelming. We seek to make the process as easy as possible. For birth parents, adoption can be a scary process because birth parents often fear being labeled as a “bad parent” if they place their child for adoption. However, our office knows that freeing a child for adoption can be the most selfless act of love that a parent can ever make. Our office treats birth parents with respect that they deserve.

Our office has over 25 years of experience handling every aspect of adoptions and have represented adoptive parents, birth parents, children, and agencies at the trial court level as well as the appellate court level. We understand how to complete an adoption from the beginning to the end and will take the extra steps necessary to assure that your adoption is as legally sound as possible and not subject to being overturned by a higher court.

Our office has over 25 years of experience handling every aspect of adoptions. We have represented adoptive parents, birth parents, children, and agencies at both the trial court level as well as the appellate court level in both domestic (Missouri) and international adoptions.

We understand how to complete an adoption from the beginning to the end and we take the extra steps necessary to assure that your adoption is as legally sound as possible and not subject to being overturned by a higher court.

Our office handles:

  • Private placement adoptions – birth parents place their child directly with the adoptive parents using an intermediary or attorneys
  • Private Agency adoptions – private agencies match birth parents and adoptive parents
  • State Agency adoptions – children who come into foster care
  • International adoptions / Recognition of Foreign Adoptions
  • Step-parent adoptions
  • Adult adoptions – for persons 18 years of age and older
  • Single Parent Adoptions
  • Same-Sex Adoptions
  • Heterosexual, unmarried adoptions

Be sure and meet with several attorneys until you find one that you are comfortable. It is necessary for your attorney to not only know the state and local laws surrounding adoptions but to know how each Court wants an adoption handled. Although the law is the same from court to court, the specific procedure differs from court to court. Some courts require every birth parent be appointed an attorney, even when the birth parents are consenting, where other courts are satisfied by the notarized and signed consent executed by the birth parents. Some courts will accept home studies compiled by any qualified home study provider whereas other courts will have a list of approved providers and will only accept home studies from those approved providers. Finally, other courts will request specific motions be filed that other courts will feel are unnecessary. Choosing an attorney who does not know both the laws of the state and the procedures of a specific court could lead to unnecessary delay and, in some extreme cases, the adoption being dismissed.