Adoptions

There are always going to be children out there who do not have true homes and loving parents to guide them. At the same time there are always those who want to start or add to their families, and the process of adoption can be an ideal bridge that is a win-win for everyone concerned.

The most common adoption scenario is when a stepparent legally adopts the biological child of his or her spouse. These independent or private adoptions are usually facilitated with the assistance of an Oklahoma City family attorney who specializes in adoptions. Adoption attorneys can also arrange adoptions directly between the birth parent(s) and the adoptive parents when the child is not a relative of either adoptive parent.

Aside from the stepparent adoption most people who adopt go through adoption agencies. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is the public adoption agency in the Sooner State, and there are a number of licensed private adoption agencies that  you can work with as well. Any adult is eligible to adopt a child in the state of Oklahoma and one does not have to meet any particular income requirement or own a home. Though the value of a two parent household is self evident, single people may adopt a child, and there is no specific upper age limit.

The vast majority of adoptions have traditionally been “closed,”and this means that the adoptive parents and the birth parents have no way to contact one another. This arrangement protects the adoptive parents and the child from the possibility of their lives being disrupted by the reemergence of a biological parent or parents. Though most adoptions are still closed, open adoptions that allow for communication between both sets of parents are becoming more common, and this type of arrangement can be quite healthy under the right circumstances.

For legal advice about adoptions, contact an Oklahoma City OK family attorney to arrange for a free consultation.