One Child at a Time
Adoption Attorney in Winchester, Virginia
November Is National Adoption Awareness Month
If you are seeking to adopt, I can provide you with knowledgeable counsel and represent you through the finalization of your parental placement or agency adoption. I can also provide assistance in interstate (ICPC) adoptions, stepparent adoptions, single-parent adoptions, same-sex adoptions, relative adoptions, and adult adoptions.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, two types of adoptive placements are legally recognized: agency placements and non-agency placements.
An agency adoption placement occurs when the state has granted authority to either the Department of Social Services (public) or a state-licensed adoption agency (private) to place the child for adoption. In these cases, parental rights have been terminated, and the agency has agreed to the adoption.
Let Me Help Your Family Grow
Contact MeA non-agency adoption placement occurs when birth parents (or legal guardians) agree to the adoption and have their rights terminated by the entry of the final order of adoption. Common non-agency placements include stepparent adoptions, adult adoptions and parental placement adoptions. In some non-agency placements, a home study is required.
My office can assist prospective adoptive parents in finding the resources they need to conduct a home study if required. It can also help prospective adoptive parents find birth parents seeking to place a child for adoption. I am also available to assist birth parents in locating prospective adoptive parents.
Contact Me Today to Get Started
Whether you are considering an agency or non-agency placement, the services of an attorney are strongly recommended to petition the Court for a final order of adoption and provide counsel through the entry of that order. If you're thinking about starting the adoption process, reach out to me at The Law Office of Karen M. Holman. Call my office in Winchester, Virginia, or contact me online to learn more about how I can help.