Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 5:00
2161 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 314
Berkeley, CA 94704
Berkeley, CA 94704
Family Law Attorney in the Bay Area.
Adoption creates a permanent legal parent-child relationship and carries significant rights and responsibilities for everyone involved. The legal process varies depending on the circumstances of the family and the type of adoption involved.
I assist individuals and families in Berkeley and throughout the Bay Area with adoption matters and related family law issues.
California law provides several paths to adoption. The appropriate procedure depends on the relationship between the prospective adoptive parent and the child, the status of the child's existing legal parents, and the particular circumstances of the case.
Adoption matters may include:
Stepparent adoption is one of the most common forms of adoption. It allows a stepparent to become the child's legal parent while preserving the parental rights of the stepparent's spouse.
The process may be relatively straightforward when the child's other legal parent consents. When consent is unavailable, additional legal issues may need to be addressed before an adoption can proceed.
California also permits one adult to adopt another adult. Adult adoption can be used to formalize an existing parent-child relationship and generally does not involve the same procedures that apply to the adoption of a minor.
Even when the parties agree, the required documents and court procedures must be completed before the adoption becomes legally effective.
The purpose of an adoption proceeding is very different from most family law litigation, but it still requires careful attention to legal requirements and court procedure.
I help clients determine the appropriate procedure, prepare the necessary court filings, address issues that may arise concerning consent or existing parental rights, and complete the process required to establish the new legal parent-child relationship.
