Adopting a child is one of the most joy-filled experiences one can have. Whether you are adopting a new child you’ve never met, or you want to complete a step-parent adoption to help solidify your family, it is a beautiful moment that you will never forget. Unfortunately, however, adoptions are a surprisingly complicated legal process. Any mistakes can result in heartbreaking delays or other issues. The following tips will help to ensure your adoption goes smoothly from start to finish.
Start Planning As Soon As Possible
Adopting a child can be a huge undertaking, so the sooner you start planning, the better. Look at your home, does it have enough bedrooms? Will it pass any necessary inspections for bringing another child into your life? When would you like the new child to arrive? On a more personal note, are you and your spouse emotionally ready? May adoptive parents can find it helpful to speak with people in adoption support groups to help with this planning process.
Know What You Want
Some people make the mistake of going into an adoption saying that they don’t care about the specifics, they just want a child. While this may sound great, it actually causes a lot of issues. Talk with your family and try to narrow down what you are looking for. Do you want an infant, a toddler, a young child, a teen? Would you be interested in a foster care to adoption option? Do you have a preference for a male or female child? What about the country of origin? There are so many decisions to make, the more specific you can be, the smoother the process will work.
Look at the Financial Situation
While adoption is primarily about the loving choice of bringing someone new into your family, there is also a major financial component to consider. Depending on the specifics of your adoption, it may end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars to complete, and that doesn’t even include the added expenses of having another child in the house. Look into possible adoption tax credits that can help to ease that burden. In addition, some employers or other groups often offer to pay a portion of these expenses. The sooner you start looking into this, the better.
Work with an Experienced Adoption Attorney
Going into an adoption alone is a big mistake. Having an attorney who has experience with adoptions is extremely important and helpful. Contact Amsberry Law Firm to go over your situation, and learn more about how we can help with all the legal aspects of an adoption in Texas. We’ve helped many other families and would be honored to help you grow yours as well.
Attorney Russell J.G. Amsberry
Attorney Russell J.G. Amsberry founded the Amsberry Law Firm in 1995 with the goal of providing clients with exceptional, focused representation on their issues. His success as a legal advocate has been reflected in the numerous professional honors he has received, such as speaking engagements and inclusion in Scene in SA magazine’s listing of the best lawyers in San Antonio, a Distinguished rating from Martindale-Hubble, and an amazing rating from Avvo. [ Attorney Bio ]
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