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Frequently Asked Questions about Adoption

Q: Is adoption expensive?

A: An adoption can be expensive, costing anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. The cost of the adoption depends on several factors, such as whether you are using an agency or adopting directly from the birth parents, adopting an infant or an older child, or adopting domestically or internationally, among other factors. There are ways to decrease the costs of adoption that may be available to you, including employer benefits, tax credits and state and federal subsidies.

Q: Can I adopt if I'm not married?

A: Yes. Single people have the same eligibility to adopt as married people. But just like married people, the court can deny an adoption if it finds the adoption isn't in the child's best interests. Also, some adoption agencies may choose not to place a child in a single parent home, so if you are considering an agency, you will want to check if it has this restriction. Even with these limits, single parent adoptions are increasing in number as courts discover single parents can provide just as loving and stable homes as married parents.

The Adoption and Safe Families Act, passed by Congress in 1997, sought to remedy the disparity between the number of children in foster care needing homes and the number adopted. The legislation sought to double the number of public adoptions by 2002 and give foster children the opportunity for safe, loving and permanent homes. Most states report dramatic increases in the number of terminations of birthparents' rights since the Act was passed.

Adoption can be one of the most rewarding experiences in an individual's life. At the Law Office of Mary C. LaGrone, our adoption attorney is skilled handling the legal issues of adoptions so that you are able to enjoy the process. We understand the difficulties of making the decision to terminate the rights of a biological parent, but we realize that it may be in the best interest of the children if abuse or neglect is an issue.

Our Tennessee stepparent adoption attorney is experienced handling petitions for termination, grandparent adoptions, stepparent adoptions, single parent adoptions, and other forms of adoption.

Because adoption can be a complex process, we have provided the following information as an overview. However, it may not apply directly to your unique situation. For more information, or for experienced representation, contact our Nashville adoption lawyer to discuss your needs.

Adoption - An Overview

Adoption is a way of creating a legal parent-child relationship. Through adoption, a parent other than the birth parent becomes legally responsible for the child’s physical, material and emotional well-being. Adoption is becoming more common as a positive way to form a family. If you are interested in adopting a child, contact an adoption attorney in your area. Adoption attorneys are well-versed in your state’s adoption laws and can answer your questions about adoption.

International Adoptions

With the increase in the number of people seeking to adopt a child and the decrease in the number of children available domestically for adoption, many are turning to international adoption as a way to fulfill their dreams of having a child. International adoptions can be more difficult to complete than domestic adoptions, and require extensive planning and research.

Open vs. Closed Adoption

In the past, most adoptions were closed, meaning the adoptive parents and birth parents had no contact before or after the child was adopted. Today, domestic adoptions in the United States are moving toward open adoptions, where all the parties to an adoption meet beforehand and often remain in each other’s lives.

Termination of Parental Rights

Before a child can be adopted, the child’s legal ties to their birth parents must be severed. This process can be stressful for adoptive parents, who may worry that complications will increase the length of the process or prevent a successful adoption altogether.

How to Finance an Adoption

The expenses associated with adopting vary according to the type of adoption you pursue and where your child is from. Such expenses can include application fees, the cost of the social worker's home study, court costs, adoptive parent training, prenatal and delivery medical expenses, foster care fees, orphanage donations, foreign fees and travel costs. These costs can quickly mount, leaving you discouraged about your ability to afford an adoption. But there are resources available to help you defray the costs of adoption, including loans, grants, employer benefits, tax credits and others.

Adoption Resource Links

American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law
The American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law works to improve children's lives by advances in law, knowledge, justice, practice and public policy. Its website provides articles and other resources for the legal community interested in children's issues.

Child Welfare Information Gateway
The Child Welfare Information Gateway (formerly known as the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse) provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.

Adoption Tax Credit
Information provided by the Internal Revenue Service on the federal adoption tax credit.

Intercountry Adoption News
Current information provided by the US State Department on issues in intercountry adoption, including countries that have suspended international adoptions, status of certain country's adoption agencies, warnings to US citizens seeking to adopt in certain countries, and other important news.

Medline Plus: Adoption
Gateway resource providing information on various adoption questions, including how to select an adoption agency, adopting children with mental or physical disabilities, costs of adoption and resources for financial assistance, adoption statistics, foster care and more.

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The Law Office of Mary C. LaGrone, located in Nashville, Tennessee, serves clients throughout the Nashville metro and Davidson County area. Our Nashville lawyer serves the communities of Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Smyrna, Lebanon, Hendersonville, and Murfreesboro. We also assist clients in Davidson County, Rutherford County, Sumner County, Wilson County, and Williamson County.