Adopting Parents Court Proceedings

Your fees will be very reasonable, based upon your individual circumstances. Your specific concerns about fees and costs, as well as, the actual process will be addressed by me.

AGENCY FINALIZATIONS

NEW JERSEY – The adoption agency will sign a Consent authorizing you to finalize the adoption once your son or daughter has continuously resided with you for six months, as legally required. Your adoption case will be quickly filed. Your final hearing will occur within 1 – 2 months after my initial court filing.

NEW YORK – You adoption action can be court filed within 40 days to 2 months after your son or daughter has been placed with you. Your final hearing will occur within 4-6 months after you received care of him or her.

FOREIGN RE-ADOPTIONS OR FIRST TIME ADOPTIONS

NEW JERSEY – Your son or daughter is legally required to be in your continuous care for 6 months before the Court will accept the filing of the re-adoption or adoption action. You final hearing will happen within 1-2 months after my initial court filing.

NEW YORK – For re-adoptions, if you brought you son or daughter to your home on an IR4 Visa it is a simple court filing. The final Order will be signed within 3 months of filing. For re-adoptions, if your son or daughter has an IR-4 Visa or for adoptions, the final hearing will occur in 4-6 months after my initial court filing.

INDEPENDENT ADOPTIONS
By retaining my services before the baby is born, all of your concerns about the parental rights of the birth parents will be addressed. You will understand the safety and risks involved in this adoption and how each parent’s right’s woulld be terminated.

NEW JERSEY – Your case will be court filed within 10 days after you bring your baby home. The birth mother could have her rights end if she has her voluntary court hearing in New Jersey or her state of residence within 3 weeks after baby’s birth. The birth father’s rights could end in the same manner, or the Court will end his parental rights at your preliminary hearing, as long as he did not file an objection or amend baby’s birth certificate to contain his name before then. Your preliminary hearing will occur within 2- 3 months of the date you received baby. This is the only hearing you will be required to appear with me. The final Judgment is signed 6 months after your preliminary hearing

NEW YORK – Before baby’s birth you must be court certified. The court will sign your certification order, qualifying you as adoptive parents within 2-3 months after my initial court filing. Some courts don’t require you to appear. Your adoption proceedings must be filed within 10 days of baby being placed into your care. The expectant mother has 45 days from the date she signs consents to notify the Court (where the case was filed) of her revocation. It is rare that a birth mother will take this action. It has never happened in my practice. You would not be required to return baby to the birth mother. She would be required to present evidence at a best interests hearing for the Court to make a determination of continuing with the adoption or returning baby into her care. The birth father's parental rights can end in the same manner as the birth mother if he signs consents or he can be notified of the adoption after the placement. If birth father is notified, because he did not sign a consent, then the court will order his rights terminated as long as he  has not provided living support or taken other certain actions to show he wanted to assume full parenting during the last six months of the birth mother's pregnancy. This is based on the individual facts in each situation.

STEP-PARENT OR SECOND PARENT ADOPTIONS

NEW JERSEY – Your final hearing will occur within 2-3 months after my initial court filing. If you are a spouse, have has a civil union, or are a gay or lesbian partner, you will be required to undergo a homestudy before the court will accept my filing.

NEW YORK – Your final hearing will occur within 3-6 months after my initial court filing. You will be required to be court certified before the court will accept my filing of the adoption proceedings.