Adoption Lawyer in Alabama

Helping Hopeful Parents Through the Alabama Adoption Process

Adoption is beautiful and worthy of celebration. You are bringing a child into your home when they are in desperate need of love, care, and the basic needs of any child. As you pursue a child’s adoption, you are likely beginning to understand that the adoption process can be overwhelmingly complicated at times. That’s why it’s strongly recommended that you retain experienced Alabama family law attorneys to represent your legal needs.

At Jim Golden Law, the attorney and his professional legal staff pride themselves on providing clients with compassionate and helpful legal services throughout the adoption process. As your legal representative, family law attorney Jim Golden will remain by your side as you explore the many legal options for adoption in Alabama.

To learn more about our legal services and the adoption process overall, please contact our legal team to schedule a free initial consultation with family law lawyer Jim Golden. In your 30-minute free case review, the attorney will answer your questions and concerns about adopting a child in Alabama, and hopefully, we can begin a professional relationship as you pursue the legal process further.

What Are the Requirements for Prospective Parents Looking to Adopt in Alabama?

Adopting a child can be very rewarding for the parent and something that a child will always cherish. But unfortunately, not everyone is eligible to adopt children in Alabama.
Preliminary eligibility requirements for adoption in Alabama include the following:

Adoption applicants must be of sound physical and emotional health.
All prospective parents must undergo a thorough background check, which will investigate criminal history and other legal matters.
An adoptive parent must be healthy enough to raise a child.
Housing must be clean and safe.
If married, at least one member of the married couple must be a U.S. citizen.
If married, the marriage must have lasted at least three years at the point of adoption.
Must be able to provide for the child’s basic needs for clothing, food, education, and housing.
The prospective parent must have adequate housing and personal space for the adopted child.

The prospective parents must be at least 19 years old or older.
If you meet these basic requirements for eligibility, you may potentially be able to adopt a child in Alabama. However, adoption requirements are just the start of the process. It gets more complicated from here. At this point, it is highly advisable to consult with professional legal counsel when pursuing adoption.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for the Adoptee?

Just as the parents must meet eligibility requirements, so too must the children. Not every child is eligible to be adopted.

For minor children to be adopted, consent must first be obtained from the child’s biological parents (or legal parents). Under state law, you must always obtain the consent of the child’s birth mother before adopting her child. The only exception to this rule is if the birth mother has voluntarily surrendered her parental rights or those rights were involuntarily terminated by the state. In many but not all cases, you may also need the consent of the child’s biological father.

Consent is not required if the child was abandoned or if their birth parents (or legal parents) have passed away.
If the child is over 14 years old, then you must also obtain the child’s consent to adoption. The only exception to this rule is if the court believes the minor lacks the mental capacity to speak for themselves on this matter.

What Different Types of Adoption Cases Does Our Family Law Firm Represent?

Jim Golden Law has extensive experience representing clients in adoption cases of all sorts and is familiar with all of Alabama’s adoption laws.
Adoption cases we proudly represent include:

Adoption through DHR.
Adoption through private agencies.
Closed adoption.
Domestic adoptions.
International adoptions.
LGBTQ adoptions.
Private adoptions (also known as an independent adoption).
Relative adoptions.
Stepparent adoptions.

How to Begin the Legal Process of Alabama Adoption?

Before you begin the legal process, we highly recommend that you research and gather as much information about the different types of adoption, the legal matters of adoption, and the complex adoption process as possible. If you’re not yet sure that adoption is the right path for you, we encourage you to contact our law firm for a free consultation with the attorney to discuss the adoption process.
We understand that, for a lot of people, the adoption process can feel insurmountable, and that’s why so many people decide not to adopt. This is a tragedy, honestly. Many children are waiting to be adopted, after all. If you feel that the process is overwhelming, remember that you do not have to go through it alone. If you elect to retain our legal team as your representatives, we will proudly stand by your side from beginning to end as you navigate the legal labyrinth in hopes of adopting a child.

After you have decided that adoption is right for you, you must then reach out to the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) or a private adoption agency that you are interested in working with. DHR requires that you go through a program called Group Preparation and Selection (GPS). This program is meant to educate prospective adoptive parents. You must attend ten meetings, which totals approximately 30 hours. Additionally, the DHR will conduct a home study to ensure that you are providing adequate housing to an adoptive child.

During the home study, a social worker or other professional may interview you and other household members. After the home study process, if you are approved to adopt, you must then wait to be matched with a child. This could take some time but try to be patient. Everything is about looking out for the children.

Is Alabama Considered an Adoption-Friendly State?

All things considered, Alabama is commonly thought of as one of the most adoption-friendly states in the country. Other states that are known to be adoption-friendly include Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Michigan.
States like Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York are often considered to be among the most challenging states to adopt A child.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring Adoption Lawyers in Alabama?

An Alabama adoption attorney can help you through the adoption process in several ways. In fact, many regard adoption lawyers as invaluable when facing the complexities of adopting a child. Legal matters where adoption attorneys can lend assistance include:

Helping to prepare you for the adoption process.
Explaining domestic and international laws relating to Alabama adoptions.
Providing recommendations for trustworthy adoption agencies.
Obtaining the necessary consent from relevant parties.
Advocating on your behalf throughout the legal process.
Handling court filings and court findings.
Representing you in court hearings.
Legal and emotional support.

Schedule a 30-Minute Free Consultation with an Experienced Adoption Attorney

If you’ve decided that adoption is right for you, or if you’re still on the fence about it and need to learn more first, we highly encourage you to contact our law firm for a free initial consultation. Jim Golden Law has extensive experience in adoption cases, and we would be proud to represent your interests as you go through the process of adopting a child into your family. Our compassionate legal team understands the importance of these legal matters to you. This is about your family, after all. We want to do everything we can to help your family grow and a child’s smile knowing that they are loved.
Please contact us to discuss your adoption case today. You may call us at 866-950-6652.