Seattle Adoption Lawyers: Helping Clients Build Families

Adoption can be an incredibly wonderful time, as it involves building (or expanding) a family.  Adoption also involves a number of legal issues that must be carefully addressed in order to protect the adopting parent(s) and the child.

We help clients in all aspects of the adoption process.  As every adoption is different, so too are the related legal issues.  We help adopting parents understand the legal process associated with their adoption, the requirements that must be met, and the approvals that must be given.

We Believe that the Right to Become a Parent is a Fundamental Right of All Adults

We help all adults who are who interested in adoption and capable of providing a loving and secure household for a child, irrespective of marital status or sexual orientation.

Frequent Types of Adoption Situations

Frequent adoption situations include:

  • Agency adoption – We work with recognized adoption agencies concerning the adoption of children both in the US and internationally.
  • Related adoptions – Related adoptions often involve step-parents, grandparents, or other family members in cases where a parent may be deceased, a parent may have previously relinquished parental rights (or had parental rights terminated), or a parent who is agreeable to relinquishing parental rights so that an adoption can proceed.
  • Foster parent adoption – Foster parent adoption has a special set of requirements and approvals that must be addressed by the relevant state agency responsible for the state’s foster care program, such as the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
  • Interstate adoption – Interstate adoption requires compliance with the laws of both the “sending” state (the child’s state) and the “receiving state” (the state of residence for the adopting parent(s)). In the US, interstate adoptions are governed under the Interstate Adoption and Interstate Compact on Placement of Children (ICPC).
  • International Adoption – International adoption necessarily involves careful compliance with the laws of the country from whom the adoption will take place, as well as local state law and US law immigration law.
  • Military Adoption – We are pleased to help support active members of our military. Military members are usually entitled to adoption assistance.
  • Surrogate adoption – We work with adopting parents and represent them in matters with their surrogate by advising as to the types of assistance and compensation that are legally permissible, and ensuring that the agreed-upon assistance is contractually documented. We also help adopting parents address matters such as multiple births and medical problems with the birth mother that may develop.

How We Help in Adoption Matters

We help adopting parents understand the legal process associated with their adoption by explaining the general time requirements involved and the legal matters that must be addressed.  We are also available to answer and questions that adopting parents may have throughout the adoption process.

To learn more about how we serve adopting parents, we invite you to call firm attorney Denise Diskin at (206) 324-8969.