Other Types of Adoption
The Law Offices of Laurie B. Goldheim represent families in New York and New Jersey in all adoption situations from finalizing agency and foster care adoptions, to stepparent and second parent adoptions, re-adoptions and disrupted adoptions. Our depth of knowledge and experience in the adoption realm allows us to help clients with all types of adoptions.
Stepparent Adoption
We handle stepparent adoptions in New York and New Jersey courts. Typically, this arises when the stepparent wants to adopt his/her spouse’s child either born in a previous relationship/marriage, or previously adopted.
Second Parent Adoption
We also specialize in second parent adoptions for New York and New Jersey adoptive families. Second parent adoption is often necessary when the child is biologically related to only one partner, or where only one partner previously adopted the child. A second parent adoption permits the unmarried or married partner to adopt the child of his/her partner, without terminating the parental rights of the consenting parent. The adoption will create and secure the legal parental relationship and is legally recognized in all states. Second parent adoptions are particularly important for same-sex couples. If a same sex couple is pursuing surrogacy, some states will not place both names on a judgment of parentage. In these situations, the only way for the other parent to guarantee his or her legal relationship to the child is through a second parent adoption.
Private Agency and Foster Care Adoption Finalization
Whether you’ve adopted a child through the public foster care system or through a private agency, The Law Offices of Laurie B. Goldheim represents New York and New Jersey adoptive families in your foster care or agency adoption finalizations. In foster care cases, you may be eligible for a one-time reimbursement for legal fees from the state, and we can help navigate this process.
Adult Adoption
Skilled in representing clients interested in adult adoptions, we make ourselves available to our clients for all of the legal situations surrounding family building. By law, two adults who are not related to one another may, under certain circumstances, formalize an existing parent-child relationship. Some reasons for adult adoptions are creating a legal bond with a foster child or stepchild who is legally an adult, or inheritance considerations between unrelated adults.
International Adoption
The legal re-adoption process depends on whether your child was granted an IH-3 or IH-4 visa to come to the United States. If an IH-4 visa was granted, a full re-adoption proceeding is required. If, however, an IH-3 visa was granted, local court recognition of the foreign adoption is streamlined.
We regularly help with cases where the foreign country grants guardianship of your child to you as prospective adoptive parents, but the foreign court does not finalize your child’s adoption. In these situations, you must finalize the adoption in your home state.
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As adoption and reproductive law attorneys, The Law Offices of Laurie B. Goldheim serve as a primary resource, counsel and partner to clients who seek to grow their families by contemporary means and methods, as recognized by the courts of New York and New Jersey.