Other Areas of Family Law We Cover

• Adoption
• Stepparent Adoption
• DSS/Child Neglect
• Alienation of Affection/Criminal Conversation
• Adult Name Change
• Free Trader Agreements
• Paternity Actions
• Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)

Adoption Process in North Carolina  

People come to adopt children in many different ways. Some foster parents decide to become adoptive parents. Some stepparents decide to adopt their stepchild when the other biological parent is not in the picture. There are still other cases in which a child’s relative wishes to become their legal parent. 

And of course, many people who wish to adopt a child start with an adoption agency. If that is the route you take to parenthood, there are nine steps you must take in order to adopt a child in North Carolina:

1. You must register with a governmental or private adoption agency. North Carolina supplies an eligible list of agencies you can choose from.
2. You must attend an orientation meeting administered by your chosen adoption agency.
3. You should attend a TIPPS–MPP (Trauma Informed Parenting – Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) course. Some agencies require you to take this course.
4. Complete a Pre-Placement Assessment (PPA) form. This form needs to be kept updated when changes to the household situation occur or once every 18 months.
5. You must register with AdoptUSKids once your PPA form has been approved. AdoptUSKids will provide a list of children eligible for adoption.
6. You must also register with the North Carolina Kids Office once your PPA form is approved. This will put you in the database of approved families to help you find a waiting child on the list.
7. You can either wait to be matched with a child or submit your PPA form to accept the child you want from the list.
8. Meet the child and develop a plan to bring them into your home.
9. Get the final decree of adoption.

Stepparent and Relative Adoption Process in North Carolina

In addition to agency adoptions, there are other types of adoption for situations in which the child is related in some way to the person who wishes to adopt them. Whether the person wishing to adopt a child is the child’s stepparent, grandparent or another relative, there is a legal adoption process to be followed.

Stepparent Adoptions

A stepparent can apply to adopt a spouse’s child after being married for six months. The other biological parent usually has to give consent, but if that parent can’t be found, other steps can be taken to get consent from the courts to adopt. Also, if the child is over 12 years of age, they must also give their consent to the adoption.

Relatives

A relative can usually avoid a pre-placement assessment if the child is currently living with them. Otherwise, the relative must complete a home study and undergo a background screening. The biological parents, if alive and able to be found, as well as any children over 12 years of age will have to give consent to the adoption.

Other Practice Areas

In addition to divorce law and adoptions, Freedom Law | North Carolina also provides legal guidance on other family law issues such as free trader agreements, adult name changes, paternity actions, child neglect, and termination of parental rights. In addition, we also provide criminal defense services for DWIs, traffic tickets, simple assaults, and expungements. Need to get your estate in order? We also provide estate planning services. 

Contact Freedom Law | North Carolina today to schedule a consultation.