Step Parent Adoption Lawyers in Los Angeles

Adoption is a process that creates a legal parent-child status between parties who do not have a biological parent-child relationship. Once an adoption is finalized, the adoptive parents and children have the same rights and obligations as legal or biological parents and children (Family Code 8616).The Los Angeles step parent adoption attorneys at Boyd Law can assist you with your relative, step parent and grandparent adoption needs.

Step Parent Adoption Process

If you are the only biological parent actively involved in the care and upbringing of your child, and you remarry, you may decide to have your new spouse become a legal parent of your child. To do so, you will need to go through the step parent adoption process with the help of a Los Angeles divorce attorney. Step parents are recognizing the financial, legal and emotional benefits of adopting their stepchildren and the impact it has in creating a close family unit. Grandparents are also sometimes in pursuit of legal adoption in order to provide their grandchildren with a stable family life that includes things like financial support and health insurance not possible without adoption.

In a step parent adoption, one biological parent (the adopting parent’s spouse) retains parental rights, but the parent-child relationship is severed with the other parent (Fam Code 8548). After this relationship is severed, the biological parent loses all rights to and responsibility for the child (Fam Code 8617). The adopting parents acquires these rights and responsibilities.

In California stepparent adoption is a permanent transfer of parental rights and responsibilities. Once a stepparent adoption is finalized, it cannot be revoked or nullified, except in very rare situations, such as serious legal defect, fraud, or mental illness or disability discovered within 5 years of the adoption (Fam Code 9100-9102). The adoption is not terminated if the stepparent and biological parent divorce.

Adoptions are a win-win situation for both the parent and child. In cases where adoptions do become contested, the divorce attorneys at Boyd Law offer an aggressive and experienced litigation team that will fight vigorously for our clients’ rights. Should the other parent contest the adoption and refuse to sign away his or her parental rights, a step parent adoption may still be accomplished through a judge involuntarily terminating the uninvolved parent’s parental rights. Your step parent adoption lawyer in LA can be instrumental in showing a court that the other parent has failed to pay child support and/or has not maintained contact or a proper relationship with the child. Your attorney can also assist you in a step parent adoption in situations where paternity has not been established.

The step parent adoption attorneys at Boyd Law in Los Angeles, CA can also help you contest an adoption. If you are a parent who does not want to consent to the step parent adoption, we will assist you in contesting the petition to terminate parental rights by proving that you should remain your child’s legal parent. We have many years of skill and expertise to challenge and assure that your parental rights are protected.

Free Legal Consultation Los Angeles Step Parent Adoption Law Firm

Our Los Angeles family law attorneys take the time to listen and understand our client’s priorities for the adoption. From there, we can make the parents aware of all rights and options. Upon completion of the adoption, the stepparent will legally act as a biological parent. With this comes certain parental rights, as well as obligations. The adoption will also affect standing custody and child support agreements. We fully educate our clients on all possible implications of the adoption, as well as the legal rights they will now enjoy as legal parents of the child.

At Boyd Law we provide adoption legal services throughout Los Angeles and the state of California. For more information about how we can help, contact our office today at 310-777-0231 for a free consultation.