Attorney-Arranged Adoptions: An Overview
- Mallory Law Office
- Jul 7, 2014
- 1 min read
Thinking of adopting? Domestic adoptions in Ohio are a growing trend and are generally less expensive than international adoptions due to the increasing regulations and the lengthy process of adopting a child from outside the country. In a private domestic adoption, birth parents choose the adoptive parents. In such case, the prospective adoptive parents compile pictures and provide a short biography about their lives, jobs, interests, parenting philosophy, and hobbies. From this, the birth parents will decide whom they would like to place their child with to raise as their own.
Attorneys are an important part of this 6 month long process. An attorney is needed to file and complete the proper court documents, ensure that the child is immediately placed with the adoptive parents, appear at the court placement and consent hearing, and see the adoption through the finalization process. In most cases, both the birth mother and adoptive parents retain an attorney. In attorney-arranged adoptions, an adoption agency is not required but may be used to complete the home study requirements of the adoptive parents.
The process for an attorney arranged adoption in Ohio is slightly different depending on the county; however, it generally includes a home study to be completed by the adoptive parents, a placement and consent hearing, the filing of a petition for adoption, and a finalization hearing. For more information on fees, costs, processes, future changes in adoption law, and the matching process associated with private adoptions, contact an Ohio adoption attorney.