Adoption is the legal procedure handled in the courts of a state that allows a family to make a child who is not biologically their own offspring a new part of their family. The adoption process involves a confidential hearing that will require the approval and order of a court to become final.
Each state has its own law and statutes controlling child adoption therein. Most states have measures in place to assess the fitness of the adopting parents. In some situations a family assessment report is needed to be returned to the judge before the adoption case can be final. Upon adoption, adopted children generally receive all the benefits afforded to natural children and parents owe adopted children all the legal duties of care and support owed to a natural or birth child of the marriage.
Adoption cuts off the responsibility for future child support and for medical care from the former birth parent to the adopted child or children. Thus, legal adoption orders generally relieves birth parents of the financial responsibilities they owe their children which are cancelled by the adoption of their child by an adopting party. The adopted child will inherit through the adoptive parents through the distribution laws of the state.
The adoption process involves legal questions of paternity and the need for consent of the biological parents if possible. Sometimes adoptions are negotiated between the child’s biological parents if feasible and the adoptive parents, and there are adoption related services.
This adoption process is complicated by legal paper work, the legal questions and the parties involved and the child which an experienced attorney should be able to guide the adoption case through the court adoption process with less complications.
Guardianship is another legal procedure which involves court supervised custody of minor children and in other cases, responsibility for incapacitated or disabled persons, who may be dependent or injured and who need additional special care or financial assistance to protect them.