November is Adoption Awareness Month: Legal Insights for Prospective Parents from Sodoma Law

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, about 135,000 children are adopted in the United States. Whether from adoption agencies, foster care, family members, or private arrangements, each adoption offers a life-changing adventure for all involved. As November celebrates National Adoption Awareness Month across the United States, Sodoma Law P.C., a leading family law firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is working to draw attention to the importance of the legal process on the pathway to a successful adoption. 

"Adopting a child successfully, no matter the circumstances, takes careful planning, including education on the process from a legal perspective," said Nicole Sodoma, Founder and Managing Principal of Sodoma Law. "It is vitally important to have someone on your side who can sort through the legal complexities and protect your family's best interests. Look for an attorney whose area of practice focuses on and has solid experience in adoption."

There are a myriad of adoption types: domestic or international; stepparent adoptions (remarrying and adopting one's spouse's children) or family member adoptions; open, semi-private or closed adoption; and more. Each path to adoption comes with its own unique facts and circumstances.

Private, open domestic adoptions can be emotionally fulfilling for both the biological and prospective parents, but there are very specific adoption laws to follow and even red flags to consider during this process. For example, while prospective parents pursuing a private adoption may wish to pay for the biological mother's bills during pregnancy, it is preferable to handle such payments by working directly with the service provider (landlord, utility company, etc.). Paying the biological mother directly may give the appearance of paying to obtain the biological parents' consent to the adoption.

Also, it is very important for parents pursuing a private adoption to be aware of the state's legislation surrounding adoption. In many states, once the prospective parents welcome the baby into their home, they must file for adoption within thirty days. Adopting from another state will require additional paperwork to satisfy the requirements of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (a pact between states) so that it is not seen as kidnapping to take the child across state lines.

Notes Sodoma: "The decisions made and the steps taken during the adoption process will forever impact the life of the child, the biological parents, and the prospective family. But in the end, the work you put into the process will be worth the joy of parenthood!" 

About Sodoma Law, P.C.
Sodoma Law, P.C. is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the historic Walter Brem House, with three additional locations in Charlotte and in Monroe, Union County. The firm's areas of practice include Family Law, Assisted Reproductive Technology, Adoption, Employment Law, Estate Planning, and Business Law. Like Sodoma Law on Facebook, follow them on Twitter (@SodomaLaw), and follow Managing Principal Nicole Sodoma (@NSodoma).

SOURCE Sodoma Law, P.C.

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