Abilene LGBTQ+ Adoption Attorneys
LGBTQ+ couples face a hard road when it comes to adoption. Despite the fact that LGBTQ+ couples make fantastic parents, there is a mistaken perception that gay parents expose their children to dangerous and unhealthy lifestyles. Some people actually believe that children of LGBTQ+ couples get harassed and bullied. These stereotypes are often shared by the people who make decisions in Abilene LGBTQ+ adoption cases. The Abilene LGBTQ+ adoption attorneys at Eddington & Worley know that these stereotypes are unfounded. They are committed to making sure LGBTQ+ couples are treated fairly. The bottom line is that sexual orientation should never be a factor when it comes to adoption. However, sometimes it is.
Adoption agencies and caseworkers like to give LGBTQ+ parents a hard time. They scrutinize their interview answers and make judgments about their sexual orientation. When they do their home study, they seem to look for things to criticize. Thankfully, if you’re an LGBTQ+ couple looking to adopt, there are experienced LGBTQ+ adoption lawyers in Texas who can help. Adopting a child will be the most important thing you’ll ever do. You want to make sure you have the help of an experienced LGBTQ+ adoption attorney.
If your family is seeking to adopt a child, call Eddington & Worley today at 855-949-0056 to speak with our expert attorneys about how we can help your dreams become a reality. You will receive a risk-free consultation with an attorney who is well versed in LGBTQ+ adoptions. They will answer all of your questions and can help guide you through the entire process.
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Abilene Adoption Attorneys Help LGBTQ+ Applicants Find Their Babies
Adopting a baby can be difficult. Anyone who’s ever done this will tell you that. You’re asking strangers to place a child with you for the rest of their life. This is not a decision that is taken lightly.
The decision to grant legal custody of children to virtual strangers can be scary for a judge. It’s his job to ensure that the child is placed with loving and capable parents. He has to safeguard the best interests of the children.
Agency adoptions are the way to go for many couples looking to adopt. However, for LGBTQ+ couples, they can pose problems. Agencies claim they’re always looking for good parents to adopt. But, are they looking for parents who are LGBTQ+?
To protect yourself, you need to find an adoption agency that is willing to work with LGBTQ+ couples. And although you’ll be working with an adoption agency, you still want to have an LGBTQ+ adoption attorney in Abilene help guide the way.
How To Complete an Adoption in Texas
LGBTQ+ couples face many obstacles when it comes to adoption. If this is your first adoption, you may feel overwhelmed. The good news is – your attorney is not. He’s handled dozens of adoptions and is more than ready to help you.
Here is the private adoption process in a nutshell. Ask your Abilene LGBTQ+ adoption attorney to discuss the process in more detail and ask any questions you may have.
An LGBTQ+ adoption attorney can help guide you through the adoption process while defending you against potential discrimination.
Select a professional adoption agency
It’s important that you find an adoption agency that is open-minded and is willing to help LGBTQ+ applicants. Check the success rates for different adoption agencies. Look for one that has a good reputation.
Complete your home study
Anyone over 21 is allowed to apply to become an adoptive parent. However, there are other requirements as well. One of these is that you take part in a home study.
The home study is conducted by a social worker and examines several factors, including:
- Criminal records for anyone over 14 living in your household
- Your financial records
- Recent health records
- Letters of reference from friends and family
- Home inspection visits that take place prior to placement
- Become eligible for adoption
Once you decide that you’re going to go with an adoption agency, you need to complete all of your paperwork. You need to do this in order to become eligible to adopt in Texas. You should contact an LGBTQ+ adoption lawyer in Abilene to help you do this.
Once you qualify for adoption, your eligibility is good for 18 months.
Once your LGBTQ+ adoption attorney in Abilene helps you finalize your adoption application, you can move forward with the approval portion of the adoption process.
In Most Cases, an LGBTQ+ Adoption Lawyer in Abilene Can Help
Sometimes, adoption is approved very easily. These cases are rare. They usually involved private adoptions where the parties have all consented to the adoption.
Usually, you’ll run into some issues during the adoption process. LGBTQ+ couples face more problems than most. This is why you want an experienced LGBTQ+ adoption attorney in Abilene. They can endure that everything goes smoothly.
Your Abilene LGBTQ+ adoption lawyer knows how the adoption process works in Texas. He’s done it dozens of times before. Before you finalize your adoption, you’ll have to notify certain parties of your intent to adopt. You must serve copies of your adoption via registered mail to the following people:
- Biological father
- Biological mother
- Foster parents
- Current adoptive parents
Your LGBTQ+ adoption attorney in Abilene can take care of this for you. He’ll locate the biological parents or guardians. He can even hire investigators to do this for you.
Your Abilene Adoption Attorney Can Help You Understand the Requirements for an Adoption
In order to adopt a child in Texas, you have to meet certain criteria. The criteria for adoption in Texas include:
- You must be at least 21 years old
- You must be financially stable
- Be a responsible and mature adult
- Show proof of marriage or divorce depending on the circumstances
- Attend mandatory training
After you complete all of these steps, you’ll need to schedule your home study. There are no exceptions to this rule. The judge must make sure that the child is going to be placed in a safe and loving home. The best way to do this is to have someone investigate your home and lifestyle.
While the adoption process can be difficult, it should never be made worse by discrimination.
Your judge also wants to learn what kind of person you are. Will you be a good parent? For them, the caseworker is the best person to review these things.
They will review things such as: Do you have a good work history? Are you going to be able to provide for your child? Do you have a criminal record? Do you abuse drugs or alcohol?
The caseworker may ask you questions you don’t want to answer. Unfortunately, you have to answer these questions. If you don’t, the caseworker will say you refused to comply with the home study.
The social workers are going to ask you about your lifestyle. If they find out you’re gay, they may ask specific questions about your sexual orientation.
What Are the Duties of an Abilene Private Adoption Attorney?
If you choose not to use an adoption agency, you can do a private adoption. The thing that makes a private adoption hard is that you have to locate the child yourself. There is no agency to present you with possible candidates.
Private adoptions involve parents who already know the family of the child you’ll adopt. It could be a friend or family member who isn’t able to raise her child. Or it may be a person who knows you’ve adopted children in the past and trusts you.
Texas law still requires you to go to through the adoption process for private adoption. That’s why you likely need the help of the Abilene LGBTQ+ adoption attorneys at Eddington & Worley.
Private adoptions must be handled properly. If you screw it up, you may not get a second chance. Every time you delay your adoption, you give the biological parents another chance to challenge your adoption.
Your adoption lawyer will help with the following parts of your adoption:
- Ensure that all documents are completed and filed with the correct courts or agencies
- Handle any payment that is to be made to the birth mother
- Refer you to the appropriate home study teams
- Represent you at the adoption hearing in court
- Ensure that the rights of the baby’s birth father are addressed
- Handle any issues regarding a transfer of the child from one state to another
- Ensure that all Texas laws are complied with fully
Contact Eddington & Worley Today for a Risk-Free Consultation!
If you’re ready to adopt a child, contact our Abilene LGBTQ+ adoption attorneys today. Your attorney can answer any questions you may have. He can also help you weigh the benefits of a private adoption versus an agency adoption Either way, he’ll help you navigate the adoption process.
Adopting a child is the most important thing you’ll ever do. You’ll finally be starting the family you’ve always wanted. It’s worth it to do it right. This is why you need an adoption attorney to help you.
Call Eddington & Worley at 855-949-0056 today to schedule your free initial consultation with our LGBTQ+ adoption experts. They can answer any questions you may have and can also help you find an adoption agency if that’s the route you want to take.