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Bringing Families Together Through Adoption...
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Stepping in and raising a family member's child brings new responsibilities and challenges, as well as the joy of raising that child. For some relatives, this also means considering whether to adopt the as your own. This decision is a significant one, both for the parent and child, and requires a careful consideration of family circumstances and legal requirements. Pensacola and Milton adoption lawyer James Turner and Patricia Wright have over 35 years of combine experience and knowledge to help guide you through child custody matters, including relative and grandparent adoption.
In Florida, many relatives have taken over the responsibility for raising another family member’s child for a wide range of reasons. The adoption process varies depending on your family relationship to the child.
- If you’re related within the 3rd degree of consanguinity (the child’s parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, uncle/aunt or sibling), the adoption plan will be a more simplified process.
- If you’re not related within the 3rd degree of consanguinity, the process will be similar to an identified adoption.
Like any other adoption, it’s a very personal decision that requires careful consideration and should be in the child’s best interest. Some benefits and features of relative adoption to consider:
- Depending on a number of factors, you may or may not need one or both birth parents’ consent to complete the adoption. We can evaluate your circumstances and advise you on this issue at no charge.
- You’ll become the legal parent(s) of the child. This means you become responsible for the child’s welfare.
- The child will inherit from you as if born to you.
- A new birth certificate will be issued, listing you as the child’s birth parent(s).
- Adoption may be finalized immediately after filing the petition, provided any required consent documents have been executed and filed.
- No home study is required for a relative adoption.
If you are a relative considering adoption and wondering if it is the best option for your family, Escambia and Santa Rosa adoption attorney James F. Turner, Jr. and Patricia Buchanan Wright are here to help you evaluate your options and make the best choice for your new family. As former Department of Children and Families attorneys with over 35 years of combined experience in child custody and termination of parental rights matters, James F. Turner, Jr. and Patricia Buchanan Wright can provide you with guidance on how to file a petition for relative adoption, and help you determine whether it may be necessary to file for termination of the parental rights of an absent parent. If you have questions about these processes or adoption generally, contact the James Turner Law Firm for a low-cost consultation at (850) 983-0725.
Relative Adoption
