Adoption

We assist people throughout the adoption process, from initial guidance to legal representation in the family court. Including: 

• Domestic adoption – where a child is placed by a Local Authority or UK Adoption Agency
• Private family adoption – adopting stepchildren or close relatives
• Same-sex couple adoption rights
• Surrogacy – in cases where a person has had a child through a surrogacy arrangement but does not meet the requirements for a Parental Order, we can help them apply for an Adoption Order.
• Assisting with international adoption and the legal implications
• Adoption Orders made abroad – legally recognising an Adoption Order made outside of the UK
• Domicile – advice on whether adopting parents, are entitled to adopt in the UK
• Re-establishing contact – legal advice for contacting a birth parent, birth family members or the adopted child
• Post-adoption contact cases
• Problems involving post-adoption support from a local authority

Helpful links

Voluntary adoption agency finder: www.cvaa.org.uk/thinking-about-adoption/find-your-nearest-agency 

Apply through a local authority agency: www.gov.uk/apply-to-adopt-child-through-council

The charity Adoption UK runs a helpline: www.adoptionuk.org/helpline