Adopting a child can be a wonderful way to add to your family and provide a home for a child who needs one. However, adoption can be a strict and complicated process, which can cause a number of legal issues to arise.
Our experienced Adoption Lawyers will be able to assist you through every stage of the adoption process. We will take the time to understand your individual circumstances, and provide you with the best, most practical solutions for your unique needs.
We have helped a number of families with a wide range of adoption issues, such as adoption applications and assessments to parental rights. Whatever your individual circumstances, we are committed to making the adoption process as straightforward, cost-effective and stress free as possible.
We offer our services at your convenience either in-person, over the phone, via email and through the post, so you can benefit from our adoption services no matter where you live.
No two adoption cases are the same, which is why we take the time to assess your situation and provide the most suitable solutions for you and your family.
Our experienced adoption solicitors can advise on a range of adoption law issues:
For more information on how we can help you, please contact us.
Register your interest in becoming an adopter with a Registration of Interest form.
You will be required to attend an adopter preparation group to learn more about adoption and meeting the needs of adopted children. This will also often involve training and preparation so you are ready to become an adopter.
An adoption assessment will take place – this usually involves a police check, a full medical examination and a visit from a social worker. The social worker will meet with you several times and produce a Prospective Adopters Report (PAR).
The PAR will be presented to the local Adoption Panel. If you are eligible to adopt a child, the process of finding a child will begin. Once a child is found, you will make a placement order following care proceedings.
Once granted, you will become the legal parent of the adopted child.
To make an adoption legal, you must apply for an adoption court order. This will give you parental rights and responsibilities for the child.
Before you can make this application, the child must have lived with you for at least 10 weeks. However, this length of time can vary depending on the circumstances of the adoption.
Once the order has been granted:
An adopter can be a single person, married, in a civil partnership, in an unmarried couple or the partner of the child’s parent.
The prospective adopter(s) must also be over the age of 21. However, this is not the case in step-parental adoption, where the stepparent must be aged 21 or over but the natural parent only needs to be age 18 or over.
It is possible for a natural parent to give their consent for the child to be adopted, although there are a number of safeguards in place to ensure the parent is giving their consent in an informed and considered way.
The process of becoming an approved adopter usually takes around 6 months. However, there is no set timeframe for the length of time it takes to find the right child or children.
Before an application to adopt can be made, the child or children must have lived with the prospective adopter(s) for a specific period of time. This period is dependent on the identity of the prospective adopter(s) and the circumstances of the adoption.
An Adoption Order may not be made unless the Court is satisfied that the adoption agency or local authority has had sufficient opportunity to see the child or children with the prospective adopter(s) in the home environment.
It is possible for a stepparent to adopt a stepchild or stepchildren. However, in these cases, the consent of all people with parental responsibility would usually be required.
If someone with parental responsibility refuses permission for the adoption, it is likely you would need to take the matter to court or use alternative dispute resolution strategies to resolve the matter.
Only a parent or guardian with parental responsibility for the child can oppose an application for an Adoption Order. Those without parental responsibility (such as wider family members, friends, or unmarried fathers who have not obtained parental responsibility) would need to apply for a Child Arrangements Order in order to oppose the application.
If a parent or guardian with parental responsibility wants to oppose an application, they Court’s permission is required before an application to oppose can be made. To do this, the parent must show a sufficient change in circumstances. In exercising its discretion, the Court will consider its prospects of success in opposing the adoption and the impact on the child or children involved.
Morrish Solicitors are one of Yorkshire’s leading Law Firms. With offices in Leeds, Pudsey, Yeadon and Bradford, we offer our family law services to clients based both regionally and nationally.
Our Leeds-based Adoption Solicitors are members of Resolution – first for family law, which is a national organisation of family solicitors and lawyers committed to a non-confrontational approach to divorce, separation and other family problems.
We are committed to following the Resolution Codes of Practice. This means we take a sensitive, constructive and cost-effective approach to adoption. Not only can this reduce the stress and emotional turmoil often involved with these matters, but it can also lead to a speedier resolution.
As a Yorkshire-based firm, you can benefit from our competitive rates. We believe in representing people, not large organisations, which is why we aim to provide expert advice, personable service, and excellent value for money.
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I have nothing but praise for Morrish and Co Solicitors. They're professional, respectful and will support their clients with issues both big and small. I have used Morrish and Co for various matters and am confident in their knowledge and services provided, and would most definitely recommend them to friends and family. They're also recommended by the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association Trade Union and have delivered excellent customer service and support for me and undoubtedly their other clients too.
Mark Evans, November 2021
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