Adoptions
Where do I start?
Foster Parent Adoption & Foster Parent Intervention
Foster Parent Adoption & Foster Parent Intervention
I offer free pre-placement consultations to help educate you about the adoption process. I have extensive experience in agency, private and foster parent adoptions and I can help you understand the pros and cons of each.
Although I cannot locate a child for you, I can counsel you about options for locating birth mothers.
Tara Kersh, Texas Adoption Lawyer and Attorney.
Foster Parent Adoption & Foster Parent Intervention
Foster Parent Adoption & Foster Parent Intervention
Foster Parent Adoption & Foster Parent Intervention
I am a Vendor with the State. This means that if you are adopting a child from Child Protective Services (CPS), in most cases, 100 percent of your adoption fees will be covered.
I am passionate about what I do and will be there for you during times of special challenges for foster parents.
I have represented over 100 foster families in Interventions into CPS cases. Sometimes, CPS chooses to make policy decisions that are not in the best interest of the child.
Foster parents have standing to intervene after the child has been in the foster home for over 12 months.
Newborn & Private Adoption
Foster Parent Adoption & Foster Parent Intervention
Newborn & Private Adoption
In a private adoption you will have to locate a birth mother who is willing to place her child for adoption.
Although attorneys can arrange adoptions in other states, in Texas an attorney can not locate a birth mother for adoptive parents.
I will assist you every step of the way including arranging your social study, all the paperwork and holding your hand.
Stepparent Adoption
Grandparent & Relative Adoption
Newborn & Private Adoption
Stepparent adoptions typically occur in cases of remarriage.
For a stepparent to granted legal rights to a stepchild, it is necessary to obtain an order terminating the parental rights of the biological parent.
This can be done easily if the biological parent signs a voluntary agreement or if the other parent is not on the child’s birth certificate.
However, if the parent is unwilling to relinquish his or her rights, things can be a bit more complicated. The biological parent will need to be served with a lawsuit to terminate his or her rights.
Adult Adoption
Grandparent & Relative Adoption
Grandparent & Relative Adoption
We all need parents or parent-figures. This is true for 18-year-olds all the way up to 70 year-olds. Many people do not realize adult adoption is an option.
The scenarios I have encountered are (1) step-parents who have always wanted to adopt the step child, but for some reason were legally unable to do so; (2) grandparents or other relatives adopting an adult; (3) non-relatives adopting a child that they raised as their own but were unable to adopt the adult as a child.
Through adoption, the adoptee will gain legal rights afforded only to children of the adopting parent(s). The adult being adopted may change their name and may obtain a new birth certificate. Adoption may provide a sense of belonging and a sense of a forever family. This is a very inexpensive process. These are typically completed in 2-3 weeks from the date that I am hired/ retained.
Grandparent & Relative Adoption
Grandparent & Relative Adoption
Grandparent & Relative Adoption
Sometimes, unfortunate events happen to the parents of a child such as drug use or incarceration. Many times, family members will step into raise the child as their own.
When a relative is raising a child, they may run into roadblocks with the school or in obtaining a passport. Many relatives raising children are unable to obtain health insurance.
Without adoption or legal custody, the relative has no legal rights to the child. The (drug using) parent can come back at any time to reclaim the child.
If you are raising a relative’s child in your home, I can assist you in taking steps to adopt the child or to obtain guardianship or custody over the child.
Tara Kersh, adoption lawyer.