Adoption is an incredibly rewarding endeavour, but we appreciate that it can also be an overwhelming prospect for some families. There are several legal steps to navigate, many of which may seem unfamiliar if you do not have any previous experience with the process.
At Taylor Emmet, we have substantial experience helping families from a diverse range of backgrounds with their adoption requirements. We are well-placed to provide accessible and practical advice about your adoption and resolve any legal issues along the way to ensure that the process is as straightforward as possible.
Speak to our Expert Childcare Solicitors
Our priority is to resolve disputes as fairly and amicably as possible without lengthy legal battles.
Our Adoption expertise
At Taylor Emmet, we have been recognised as having one of the leading Family Law teams in the Sheffield City Region and beyond by The Legal 500.
Our experience and expertise with the adoption process mean we are well-placed to advise you on every aspect of your case, help you clearly understand your position, offer tailored support, and answer any questions you might have concerning your situation.
Members of our team are also on the Law Society’s Children Panel, enabling them to represent children and demonstrating our expertise in child law.
How our Adoption Solicitors and Lawyers can help you
Advice on adoption law and your options
Adoption law is extensive, and the process can be lengthy, involving multiple stages and interested parties. If you intend to adopt, you will also have to deal with the family court system, which can be an understandably daunting prospect if you have no previous experience.
Our specialist Adoption Solicitors and Lawyers will provide you with straightforward advice and clarify precisely what the adoption process involves, how specific laws may apply to your situation and whether there are any alternatives to adoption which may be better suited.
If you are happy to proceed, we can work alongside you to register your interest with an agency or authority and prepare for any initial checks that then follow.
Adoption assessments and applications
After the initial checks for adoption have been carried out, you can proceed to file an application. Part of this process will likely involve several assessments, including visits from a social worker and an appearance at an independent adoption panel.
Our team will take you through each step involved in making an adoption application in several different scenarios, including:
- Adopting through Local Authorities
- Adopting through adopting agencies
- Adopting stepchildren
- Adopting grandchildren
- Fostering to adopt
- Adopting children in care
- Adopting newborn babies
- International adoptions
Adoption Orders
If your adoption application is successful and you are matched with a child (or children), you will then need to formalise this arrangement by applying for an Adoption Order. This formal court order transfers legal parenthood status and grants parental responsibility.
Getting the details right in an Adoption Order is extremely important, as failing to do so could prevent an adoption from being finalised. We can help you handle all of the essential papers to ensure that the process is completed as efficiently as possible, so you can concentrate on the next stage in your family’s life.
Special Guardianship
Our team also have specialist expertise in handling applications to become a child’s ‘Special Guardian’. More information on how we can support you with a Special Guardianship Order can be found here.
Adoption appeals and disputes
It is not uncommon for an appeal to be launched in response to an adoption application. This can be a complicated situation for all parties, but you can rest assured that we will provide close personal support and take all possible steps to resolve the matter with as little disruption as possible.
