Adoption is the legal process of establishing a legal parent-child relationship when the adopting parent is not the child’s biological or birth parent. That means that once the adoption is final, the adoptive parents have all the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent-child relationship. That new parent-child relationship is permanent and is exactly the same as that of a birth family. An adoptive parent can be a stepparent or domestic partner of one of the birth parents, a relative of the child who has been caring for the child, or someone not related to the child by blood.
Talk to a lawyer about your family’s options before starting. Every family is different and in some cases, you may not need to go through an adoption..
Types of Adoptions
Stepparent/domestic partner adoption:
- The spouse or domestic partner of the child’s parent adopts the child.
- The couple must be legally married or registered as domestic partners.
- It is the most common type of adoption.
- It is a little simpler than other types because 1 of the child’s birth parents still remains the child’s parent.
WGS is here to help you evaluate your options and make the best choice for your new family.
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