Adoption Attorneys in Erie, PA

With step-parent adoptions, you do not need an intermediary (third party agency) involved or a home study.  There are several ways to go about a step-parent adoption. One way is that the biological parent whose rights are being terminated can consent to it. This is ideal because it cuts out the step of having a court hearing to involuntarily terminate a parent’s rights. If the biological parent is not willing to consent, you can schedule a hearing.  You have an involuntary termination hearing before you have an adoption hearing.  The Court determines whether that parent’s rights should be terminated and whether the step-parent should be permitted to step in and adopt the child.  There has to be six months of no contact or involvement between the biological parent and the child before you can file a petition for involuntary termination of that parent’s rights.  A hearing gets scheduled, and if the parent wants to contest it, they will have to defend themselves to the Court.  Once a termination is granted, we then schedule an adoption hearing for the step-parent.  In order to successfully and properly complete the step-parent adoption process, you should have an attorney to help you through this process.