When people think of adoption, they usually see it as the parents who want a child. The biological parents are a significant piece of the process. Each step along the way presents its own challenges and complications. And there are more variables than you have likely considered.
By looking at adoption through a wider lens now, you will have an idea of what lies ahead. A qualified family law attorney who has worked with adoptions will help you see this through.
Legal Risk
Some of the concerns you have are common. When you take a child into your home, you want that child to feel settled, safe, and secure. If you are worried that the child will be taken from you, you aren’t alone.
The answer to this question is both yes and no. Once a final decree of adoption has been issued, you will have a legal parent-child relationship. When that happens, it is as if you had given birth to the child yourself. However, the final adoption decree doesn’t occur until six months after placement or six months after you (and your attorney) file your petition.
The risk to you depends on the parents and if their relationship with the child has been terminated. When you meet with your attorney, he can discuss your level of a legal risk.
What Is A Putative Father?
In Arkansas, a woman’s husband is the legal father of the child. But what happens when a woman has a child and is not married? Arkansas has a Putative Father Register. Men who are not married can use this register to make a legal claim that they are the child’s father.
What does this mean for your adoption? These men will be notified that there is an adoption agreement in place for their child. They can stop the adoption.
However, this does not mean your adoption hopes end. The mother of the child may dispute the man’s claim. And he will have to establish paternity and demonstrate that he is a fit father. More importantly, you are not expected to handle this process alone—nor should you.
Your attorney will have a command of the challenges that may present themselves during the adoption process. An experienced one doesn’t get caught off-guard because he’s dealt with similar circumstances before.
OMG Law
OMG Law has those experienced attorneys. If you need a serious and empathetic partner to help you through the legal process of a family law matter, contact OMG Law.