Step-Parent and Grandparent Adoptions ● Orange County
I am Michael Efron, a lawyer in Irvine, California, who has devoted his entire career to the practice of family law. As a proud member of Kring & Chung, L.L.P., I provide highly experienced, personalized service to help clients make their dreams of adoption a reality.
I have helped thousands of clients achieve their goals in their family law matters. If you would like to schedule an initial confidential consultation, we would be happy to meet with you. Call (949) 467-9147 or contact my office online any time.
What It Takes to Adopt a Child
Whether you are a step-parent who wishes to adopt your spouse's child or a grandparent who wishes to adopt your son or daughter's child, the adoption process is fairly standardized and straightforward. You need to fill out certain paperwork, live with the child for a temporary trial period and allow social workers to evaluate your home environment.
Since a child can legally have only one male and one female parent at any given time, adoptive parents also need to terminate the parental rights of the living biological parents whom they wish to replace. Sometimes, the biological parent is cooperative, but often the adoptive parents need to hold a Termination of Parental Rights proceeding to show that they are unfit to be parents.
Guardianship: a Workable Alternative to Adoption
If you are unable to terminate the parental rights of the biological parent, you can ask the court to grant you guardianship over the child. Guardianship grants you the same authority to care for the child and make decisions about his or her upbringing as adoption. The main difference is that you don't have the legal status of "parent."
If you would like to learn more about your options for adoption or guardianship, call my office at (949) 467-9147 or contact me online to schedule an initial confidential consultation.
