Adoption

What you’re facing

An adoption makes a parent and child legally family, permanently, with all the same rights and responsibilities as if the child had been born to you. Before a court can do that, two things have to be true: the legal ties to any other parent have to be properly ended, by consent or by court order, and the court has to be satisfied that the adoption is good for the child.

The families who come to me are usually doing one of these:

• Stepparent adoption. You’ve been raising your spouse’s child, often for years, and you want to be their parent on paper too. This usually requires the consent of the other biological parent, or a court order if they can’t be found or haven’t been part of the child’s life.
• Relative adoption. A grandparent, aunt, uncle, or older sibling who has stepped in to raise a child and wants to make it permanent.
• Agency adoption. You’re working with a licensed adoption agency, in Washington or elsewhere, and need an attorney for the court side.
• Private adoption. You’ve connected directly with a birth parent or family, and need the consents, the paperwork, and the court process done carefully and correctly.

What happens next

The details depend on what kind of adoption you’re doing. The broad shape is the same.

1. The home study.

   In most adoptions, someone qualified to do it visits your home, talks with your family, and writes a report for the court. Stepparent adoptions are sometimes handled differently. It sounds intimidating. It’s really a conversation, and I’ll help you know what to expect.

2. Consents.

   The people whose consent the law requires sign it, in the right form and at the right time. This is the step where mistakes cause the most heartache later, and it’s the step I am most careful with.

3. Ending the other parent’s rights.

   If a parent won’t consent, can’t be found, or isn’t able to, the court may need to end their rights in a separate hearing. Not every adoption needs this. If yours does, I’ll explain exactly what it involves.

4. Across state lines.

   If the child is born in another state, there are additional approvals before you can bring them home to Washington. They take time, and they’re not optional. Tell me early.

5. The finalization hearing.

   A judge reviews everything and signs the adoption decree. Families bring grandparents, balloons, the dog’s photo. It’s usually short, and it’s the best day of my month.

How I work

I handle every adoption from the first phone call to the decree myself. You won’t be passed to a paralegal for the steps that matter, and you’ll always know what comes next.

I’m careful, and I’ll be honest with you about risk. Some adoptions are straightforward. Some have a step that could go sideways, like a parent who might change their mind or can’t be located. I’ll tell you which kind yours is at the start, so nothing catches you off guard. I can’t promise how any part of it will turn out, but I can make sure every piece within our control is done right.

And I’ll try to make the legal part the least of what you have to think about. You have a child to get ready for.