Why It's a Good Idea to Hire an Adoption Lawyer
Adoption lawyers are licensed attorneys who only handle adoption cases. In some cases, they work for companies that only handle adoptions. In other cases, their firms specialize in all aspects of family law. Mahaffey & Associates, family law in LLC belongs to the latter group. We handle divorce, legal separation, child custody, and other family law matters in addition to adoptions.
Perhaps the title of this post piqued your interest because you are considering adopting or have already begun the process. The first thing we want you to know is that the purported difference between agency and lawyer adoptions is a myth. Such a distinction does not exist.
If you are not supposed to work with an Attorney, the Agency will consider for sure. Adoptions cannot be completed without the involvement of at least one lawyer. This supports one of the core legal principles: if the other party is represented by counsel, you should pursue the same course of action.
Adoption is a legally binding process
We recommend hiring an adoption attorney for the several reasons:
The most important of which is that adoption is a legal process. Once you adopt a child, you become their legal parent under your state's laws.
Adoption is a legal process, it is best handled by legal professionals. Although you could represent yourself in an adoption procedure, do you have the necessary knowledge and expertise? Most likely not. Adoption attorneys do.
Leaving aside all of that, a successful adoption must be finalized in a court law. Certain procedures must be followed in order to accomplish this procedure. Again, you are unlikely to have the skills or experience to navigate the legal system. Why torture yourself by attempting to do something that adoption lawyers do on a daily basis?
Everyone has basic Rights
When discussing legal issues, it is important to remember that all parties involved have rights. Adoption is no different. Lawyers must address the rights of: in any given case
· The child in question
· Prospective adoptive parents
· His or her birth parents
· Adoption agencies, foster parents, or guardians (where applicable).
One of your attorney's responsibilities will be to protect your rights as well as the protection of children you are adopting. A lack of legal representation may result in those rights being violated. Unfortunately, even an honorable process like adoption can be spoiled by parties who do not acknowledge the rights of the other involved parties.
State laws differ
As you know adoption agencies are ruled by state law. It should be noted that adoption laws differ from one state to the next. Some states, for example, only allow closed adoptions, which means that adoption documents are securely sealed to everyone except the birth parents. Other states allow adopted children to access those records as adults.
We are Sylvania adoption attorneys who are well-versed in Illinois law. We advocate for adoptive parents in order to protect their own and their adoptive children's best interests. We are ready to work with you to help you legally adopt that child you adore.
