Opening your home to a child in need of a family is one of the most meaningful choices you can make in your life. However, as you may already have discovered, the adoption process is often costly and lengthy enough to dissuade all but the most intrepid parents-to-be.
Don’t let confusion and frustration cause you to abandon your dream of adoption. The skilled Philadelphia adoption lawyers at Petrelli Previtera, LLC, have years of experience helping people like you tackle the legal issues that stand between them and a happy life with their new additions.
If you’ve already begun the process of adoption or intend to do so in the near future, call us or connect with us online to schedule a confidential initial consultation.
How Our Adoption Attorneys in Philadelphia Can Help You
No attorney can guarantee that your adoption will be successful, but the right one can dramatically increase your chances of success and ensure a friction-free process from start to finish. Here’s a look at how the Philadelphia adoption lawyers at Petrelli Previtera, LLC, might be able to assist you:
Helping You Understand the Process
When you have a general idea of how the process will go in mind before you begin, you’ll be able to respond to complications and uncertainties more effectively. Instead of stressing about the ramifications of each setback, you’ll be able to stay focused on the bigger picture.
Representing You in Court
Adoption often involves one or more court appearances. With an experienced lawyer at your side, you’ll be less likely to run into unexpected issues or have the process delayed because you accidentally missed a filing or court date.
Ensuring That Your Child Has All Necessary Documentation
In some cases, especially those involving international adoption, your child might not already have a Social Security card or other forms of necessary legal documentation. We can help you make sure your child has the same documentation they would have received if they had been born to you.
Streamlining Communications
Adoption involves communication with the court, the adoption agency, and your child’s birth family. Managing these interactions on your own can be extremely difficult, and there’s a high likelihood that you might accidentally miss an important call, mail, or letter.
Attorneys handle communications like these on a daily basis. When you entrust your case to a qualified lawyer, you’ll have more time to focus on readying your home for your new family member.
Common Types of Adoption
The Philadelphia adoption lawyers at Petrelli Previtera, LLC, have helped countless prospective parents welcome new children into their homes.
Depending on your unique circumstances, you might find that one type of adoption suits your needs better than others. Here are some of the most common types of adoption we aid clients with:
Public Adoption
This is what most people think of when they imagine adoption. In a public adoption, the government (whether federal, state, or local) works to facilitate the adoption of children who are currently in foster care.
International Adoption
Adopting a child from outside the United States comes with specific challenges. If you want to adopt from a foreign country, you may face issues related to immigration laws in the U.S. and your child’s country of birth.
Navigating the intricate web of legal requirements in these situations can be confusing, even overwhelming. Our team can offer reliable guidance on complex procedures to ensure that your adoption is carried out in accordance with the law.
Private Adoption
Some parents choose to work with private adoption agencies instead of going through the public adoption system. With a private adoption, an agency matches prospective adopters with birth parents.
Unlike public adoptions, private adoptions sometimes allow birth families and adoptive families to meet and get to know one another before the adoption takes place. However, each agency has its own policies and procedures.
Before choosing an adoption agency, it’s important to have a solid understanding of the steps you need to take to secure an adoption.
Kinship Care/Kinship Adoption
If a family member’s children have entered the foster care system and can’t be reunited with their parents, you might consider adoption through kinship care. This is when the state attempts to place a child with a member of their extended family.
Kinship care is often better for the children, who may be scared and confused without a permanent guardian. Imagine that a court determines that your sibling is an unfit parent. They take no steps toward restoring their parental rights, so their children enter the foster care system.
In this scenario, you might choose to offer kinship care, meaning you take in the child for the immediate term and possibly adopt them later.
Kinship care and adoptions can be unexpectedly complicated in some cases. For example, if the court terminates a parent’s legal rights and you adopt the child, the birth parent might challenge the court’s decision months or years after the fact.
Our adoption attorneys in Philadelphia can take the appropriate steps to make sure your adoption will hold up in the face of possible challenges like these.
Stepchild Adoption
Stepchild adoption is one of the most common types of adoption our firm handles. It’s also one of the more straightforward forms. Instead of bringing a new child into your family, a stepchild adoption involves solidifying a blended family by allowing a new spouse to adopt the children belonging to the other spouse.
While many stepchild adoptions are relatively straightforward, they aren’t always free from issues. For example, if you want to adopt your spouse’s child, you must have the consent of the child’s other parent (unless their parental rights have been terminated).
If the non-custodial parent objects to the adoption, your lawyer may be able to help you negotiate an outcome that works for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adoptions in Philadelphia
Many of our clients pose similar questions to our Philadelphia adoption lawyers. Here are some of the ones we receive most often:
Why Do I Need a Lawyer for an Adoption?
Adoption requires you to meet exacting standards and adhere to strict deadlines. To ensure that your adoption is complete and valid from a legal standpoint, it’s wise to work with an attorney who has experience overseeing adoption cases.
How Much Does Adoption Cost in Philadelphia?
It depends on several conditions. However, once you factor in agency costs, filing fees for important documents, and other required expenses, you’ll likely owe at least a few thousand dollars.
Is It Better to Adopt Through a Public or Private Agency?
Neither option is necessarily better than the other. However, it’s worth noting that while adoption can be costly no matter who you work with, going through a private agency is almost always more expensive than public adoption.
Turn to a Proven Team of Philadelphia Adoption Lawyers
If you’re ready to start the adoption process, even the simple act of selecting an attorney to represent you is a major step forward. Adoption is a tightly regulated legal procedure, and the many obstacles you’ll run into aren’t just meaningless red tape — they’re meant to protect the well-being of the children going through the process.
The compassionate adoption attorneys in Philadelphia at Petrelli Previtera, LLC, are dedicated to streamlining the adoption process for prospective guardians, and we can help you overcome any legal issues that arise along the way. Schedule your initial consultation today to learn more.