Adoption can be an emotionally joyful event. It’s an occasion when people open their heart to expand their family with a new loved one.
It can also be legally complicated when dealing with multiple parties like birth mothers and fathers, and agencies. Additionally, there can be countless legal guidelines, paperwork, and procedures to follow.
Many people are surprised by the various types of adoptions available in Florida. They include:
- Adoption by Stepparents
- Adoption of Adults
- Adoptions of Relatives
- Adoptions by Someone Other than a Relative
Below we explore each of these types of adoptions more in-depth.
Whether you are looking to adopt a relative, become a step-parent through adopting your spouse’s child, or adopt from an entity, we can help you through this complex process.
Adoption is a meticulous area of the law that requires in-depth knowledge and attention to detail. You may have many questions regarding the timeframe, cost, and legal rights you’ll have navigating this process. We can help you with those.
Let Our Family Law Team Represent You!
Give Us a Call for a Free Consultation:
Your Guide to Adoptions in Florida
Who Can Adopt a Person in Florida?
- Husband and wife jointly
- Unmarried adult
- A stepparent
- Same-sex couple
- LGBTQ+ singles
Stepparent Adoptions
The most common form of adoption is a Stepparent Adoption.
This is traditionally an offshoot of a dissolution of marriage case where one of the parents has remarried and the other parent becomes absent.
A stepparent adoption can be created when the stepparent can provide adequately for the material needs and emotional well-being of the child.
A number of legal questions can arise when you adopt your spouse’s child so it is essential to speak with an experienced adoption attorney.
Adult Adoptions
In Florida, adults can adopt other adults.
Many clients seem to be shocked to know that you can create a lifelong family bond and legal connection by adopting an adult.
This scenario comes up in situations where children spend a significant time in foster care.
It can happen when a child experiences a tragic loss of both parents and family member(s) step in as parents.
In some cases, it can be when a parent is having their first child and would like for their newborn to have grandparents. The benefit of this arrangement is if the adopted parents of the child should pass, the grandparents would legally be able to raise the child as next of kin.
If you’re looking to become forever parents of someone over the age of eighteen, please give us a call.
Adoptions of Relatives
If you are related to the potential adoptee within the third degree of consanguinity—I.e. the potential adoptee’s grandparent, aunt, or uncle, etc. — and you have taken on the role of parenting on behalf of your child or another family member, you may petition for adoption.
The adoption process can vary based on the relationship of the adoptive parents to the minor child. For example, a grandparent adoption is uniquely different from that of another relative.
Adoptions by Someone Other than a Relative
Often times, prospective adoptive parents will find a birth mother unrelated to them looking to place their child in the prospective adoptive parents’ forever home, which is commonly referred to as an identified adoption.
On the flip side, maybe you’re thinking of adopting through foster care or through an adoption agency. We work with matching and placement services that can assist you in this process.
There are so many nuances to an adoption when the child is not a relative between home studies, adopting out-of-state, and information sharing with the birth mother. It is especially important to speak with a qualified family law attorney to assist you in this process.