Adoption
Adoption is a legal process that terminates the rights of a biological parent and places the adoptive parent in his or her shoes. From that point forward, an adoptive parent is treated in all respects as the child's legal parent.
A Utah court must approve all adoptions in this state. Before a final hearing can take place, there are a number of requirements that must be satisfied, including notice to interested parties, background checks on prospective adoptive parents, and home-studies in some cases.
Stepparent and private uncontested adoptions are the most common. In addition, there are some highly contested cases in which a private party (often a relative), seeks to have a parent's legal rights terminated over that parent's objection in order to proceed with an adoption.
All of these cases require thoughtful consideration by a skilled and experienced attorney. We have extensive experience helping adoptive parents and birth parents through this process, both in private settings and through state and private agencies.
If you are considering an adoption, we encourage you to call our offices for a consultation.
