Prince Frederick Adoption Attorney Serving Southern Maryland
Adopting a child (or children) can be a great way to start or grow your family. You are also performing a valuable service by providing a child in need with a loving home that they may not otherwise get. Unfortunately, the adoption process can sometimes be complicated, stressful and expensive, and it can be heartbreaking to begin the adoption process only to see it ultimately fail due to some error along the way. For adoptions in Southern Maryland, attorney Sierra B. Mitchell and the family law team at Meng Law in Prince Frederick provide practical legal advice and professional assistance throughout the process of adopting a child. Learn more about the different types of adoption available in Maryland, and call the Prince Frederick adoption attorneys at Meng Law for help with an adoption in Calvert, St. Mary’s, Charles or Prince George’s County.
Agency Adoptions
Adoption agencies have the resources, expertise, access to children and ability to place a child with you that meets your needs and wishes. Many agencies handle international adoptions as well as domestic adoptions. The downside of adoption agencies is that they can be very expensive compared to other options. The process itself can also be time-consuming and complicated.
Independent Adoptions
One way to avoid the cost and complications of adoption agencies is to look for an independent adoption. In this situation, you deal directly with the birth mother or birth parents and tailor the adoption in a way that meets everyone’s needs. Will there be any type of contact between the adopted child and his or her birth parents? Will the birth mother be compensated for expenses? Important rights are determined in the adoption process. Make sure you are well-represented early on by an experienced Maryland family law attorney who will explain matters to you and make sure the adoption meets your needs with your legal rights protected.
DHS Adoptions
The Department of Human Services has custody of numerous vulnerable kids in need, some with special needs, who cannot stay with their parents for one reason or another. DHS provides a method whereby you become a foster parent and engage in the adoption process through the state of Maryland’s public child welfare adoption program This adoption is a lengthy process; expect to foster for a year or more and be subject to interviews, background checks and home studies. In addition to helping a needy child find a loving and permanent home, you can also receive adoption assistance from the state in the form of monthly financial payments and help with medical expenses.
Stepparent Adoptions
You’re a new family now, so why not make it official by adopting your wife’s kids from a previous relationship? Not only will you strengthen familial bonds that last a lifetime, but you’ll help ensure financial support for the kids through inheritance rights, access to your health insurance, and government benefits such as social security and veteran’s benefits. Securing a stepparent adoption requires obtaining consent from the biological father or moving to terminate the father’s parental rights. This can only be done in limited applicable circumstances, such as abandonment. Whether negotiating with the biological father to get consent or litigating a case in court, the Maryland adoption lawyers at Meng Law are strong and effective advocates for your cause.
Close Relative Adoptions
With the parents on drugs, in jail, institutionalized or otherwise deemed unfit, grandparents or other close relatives can step in and provide a permanent, stable home for their loved ones. Courts tend to favor adoptions by close relatives; we’ll guide you through the appropriate process, including DHS adoptions or guardianship proceedings that later lead to adoption.
Adult Adoptions
Do you already have a strong parent/child relationship with someone that you want to formalize in order to establish legal inheritance rights and other benefits? As with other forms of adoption, adult adoption involves the creation and relinquishment of important legal rights. Our adoption attorneys are here to counsel and guide you every step of the way.
Meng Law Attorneys are Here for You in Southern Maryland Adoptions
To discuss adoption in Southern Maryland, call Meng Law at 410-449-1647 to share your concerns and desires with a team of compassionate, skilled and efficient Prince Frederick adoption attorneys.
