Expand Your Family with Legal Assistance from an Adoption Lawyer in Virginia Beach
Virginia offers residents many options for adoption
Not every family law case is painful. Adopting a child, which also falls under the umbrella of family law, can be a joyful experience. Virginia offers several ways for families to grow through adoption.
If you are interested in learning more about the Virginia adoption process, contact Harding, Harding & Harding Attorneys at Law and speak with an experienced adoption attorney in Virginia Beach, for information on the adoption laws, statutes and options available to you.
Agency placement versus parental placement
No matter how a particular adoption is classified, all adoptions fall into one of two categories:
- Agency placement — An adoption agency helps place a child with adoptive parents.
- Parental placement — The birth parents grant custody of the child to the chosen adoptive parents.
Every adoption in Virginia, regardless of its type, must follow state, federal and potentially international guidelines to safeguard the placement of children. And if you are considering an agency adoption, do your homework. Ensure that the agency you are considering is fully licensed to operate in the state of Virginia or that it partners with a licensed Virginia agency. Virginia provides information on licensed agencies through the Department of Social Services website. Reputable Norfolk adoption attorneys understand that Virginia has strict policies for agency licensing to protect adoptive children’s and parents’ rights. An incompetent or disreputable adoption agency can make the process almost impossible for you.
Other types of adoptions
Experienced Chesapeake adoption attorneys handle different types of adoptions, including but not limited to:
- Step-parent adoption — When a parent remarries, the new spouse can legally adopt their spouse’s children.
- Foster parent adoption — This is similar to step-parent adoption, but involves foster parents legally adopting the foster children they take into their homes.
- Interstate adoption — The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children must be observed when a child is adopted across state lines.
Virginia Beach family law attorneys Harding, Harding & Harding Attorneys at Law bring more than 25 years of experience to every case they handle. And no law firm offers greater compassion or a more sterling reputation to every client.
Experienced Virginia Beach adoption attorneys prepared to advise you about growing your family
Contact Harding, Harding & Harding Attorneys at Law today, online or at [ln::phone] for help growing your family.
