Massachusetts Contested Adoption Lawyers

Adopting a child can be an exciting and joyous time in your life. However, the process to become an adoptive parent can leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Fortunately, regardless of whether you are single or married, a Hanover adoption lawyer from O’Connor Family Law can help you grow your family. With over 35 combined years of exclusive family law experience, our dedicated attorneys also can assist individuals looking to place a child for adoption, finalize a kinship adoption.

OPTIONS FOR ADOPTING CHILDREN

Sometimes, grandparents adopt their grandchildren, stepparents adopt stepchildren, or foster parents adopt the child they have grown to love. Depending on your situation, a local attorney can help you determine which of the following types of adoption to pursue. 

Adopting Through a Private International or Domestic Agency

Massachusetts only permits private placement adoptions of non-blood relatives through a licensed private or public agency. However, such an agency may authorize a placement selected by a child’s birth parents. One of our attorneys can help you identify and vet reputable agencies or prepare a private petition for submission to an authorized entity.

Stepparent and Kinship Adoptions

The Commonwealth permits private adoptions as well. This is commonly seen where one relative adopts a child from another relative. This may also be referred to as a “kinship” adoption. A stepparent may also adopt a stepchild if they are married to the child’s sole legal parent if the other parent refuses to be involved with the child or is no longer alive. These types of adoptions are usually agreed upon between the adoptive and biological parents. If this is the type of adoption that suits your situation, our lawyers can prepare the paperwork on your behalf in a private setting and without judicial intervention.

Guardianship Adoptions

There may be times that a biological parent cannot care for their child. Sometimes, it is a situation where the biological parents agree that someone else, whether it be a grandparent, relative, or friend, can do a better job at providing for the child then they can. Whether it is agreed to or not, a guardianship can be sought on either a temporary or permanent basis if a parent is unable to provide adequate care and safety for a child.

In those situations, there may be times where an adoption becomes the best choice for a child because the guardian has been the only “parent” the child might know or that the stability of knowing they have a “forever home” is in the child’s best interest where the biological parent cannot resume parental duties although being given every opportunity to be able to do so.

There are also situations where the biological parents may die. In those types of situations, a surviving relative or friend could seek a temporary guardianship. If, after a period of time, the guardian and the child believe it is best, they can then go through the adoption process.

Pursuing Same-Sex Couple Adoptions & Surrogacy Options

Adoptions While same-sex couples may jointly adopt children, Massachusetts does not have specific surrogacy agreement laws. However, couples may adopt children utilizing a surrogacy-based arrangement if the surrogate executes written consent no sooner than four days after the child’s birth, according to Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 210, §2.

Couples considering surrogacy plus adoption should immediately contact a qualified Hanover attorney who can draft a contract between prospective parents and a surrogate mother. Our lawyers at O’Connor Family Law can also prepare consent and adoption paperwork as soon as practicable after the child’s birth.