stepparent adoption

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Huntsville Adoption Lawyers

Huntsville Adoption Lawyers

Are you a child’s real father when it feels like the biological dad is little, if anything, more than a “sperm donor” yet retains all his legal rights as a father when you have none? Are you a stepmother who has raised a child as your own? Have you opened your heart in every loving way possible except to “make it official” and legally defensible? And we see this all too often…

Are you worried about that day when the biological parent shows back up and insists on reconnecting with your child and you might be obligated by the Court to allow this person back into your life however it may affect your child?

How does stepparent adoption work?

If you’ve been like a mom to your stepchild or have been the only real father figure your child has known, you might be asking yourself…“How do I legally adopt my stepchild in Alabama?”

The most common way for a stepparent to adopt a child in Alabama is to file a petition for Adoption with the Probate Court in the County where the Child resides. See § 26-10A-4, Ala. Code 1975.

Since the United States Constitution protects a biological parent’s fundamental right to raise their own children, your stepparent adoption attorney must comply with “due process” in an adoption case by providing the proper legal notice to the biological parent. Or your adoption lawyer can obtain the lawful written consent of the biological parent. Both notices of the adoption case and any lawful written consents have strict legal requirements which, if a stepparent or their lawyer fails to comply with the requirements, can result in an Adoption being declared legally void, even years after the fact. Yikes!

That’s why the stepparent adoption lawyers at Foxtrot Family Law take every single stepparent adoption as if your family’s entire future depends on it. Because it does!

Who can adopt a child?

Good news! Any adult person or husband and wife jointly who are adults may petition the court to adopt a minor. See § 26-10A-5, Ala. Code 1975.

Often, a petition for stepparent adoption is filed in the Probate Court by a stepmother or stepfather. However, we have also advised and advocated for our clients in grandparent adoption cases and foster-parent adoption cases. Each family is unique and so is each case, but the Adoption lawyers at Foxtrot Family Law will help you stand up for yourself and your Child in your Adoption case, each step of the way.

What do adoption lawyers do?

The adoption lawyers at Foxtrot Family Law know the fear, uncertainty, and frustration of knowing that you are the real parent without having any of the real rights that you and your family deserve. You have shown so much love for your child and courage as a parent.

That’s why we are grateful to serve so many families in our community that have chosen to put that love and courage into action and have chosen to complete their families with adoption.

If you are considering completing your family with Adoption and you would like to meet with a member of our team, please don’t hesitate to contact our office through our live website chat with a real human OR by clicking the “Book Appointment Online” button below to schedule a meeting right now to get things moving. Otherwise, you are always welcome to call and speak with a member of our team who cares about you and your adoption journey.

Which court handles adoption?

The adoption lawyers at Foxtrot Family Law are conveniently located to the Madison County Probate Court. Whether in Huntsville, Alabama or Madison, Alabama, or across the county, we help parents and relatives stand up for themselves and their children in Adoption cases, whether the biological parent consents to adoption or not.

Adoption Lawyers in Marshall County, Alabama and Across North Alabama

The adoption lawyers at Foxtrot Family Law work out of multiple offices in North Alabama. We are grateful and proud to provide the following services to clients and their families in the following locations across North Alabama:

• Adoption in Guntersville, Alabama
• Adoption in Albertville, Alabama
• Adoption in Arab, Alabama
• Adoption in Boaz, Alabama
• Adoption in Athens, Alabama
• Adoption in Decatur, Alabama