Kinship Adoption in Charlotte

State laws allow families of children to adopt them to enjoy certain legal protections that are not available to those with legal guardianship. Family members may wish to adopt for various reasons, including an unsafe home environment, and it is often a preferred method of the family court over putting the child in foster homes with people they do not know.

Minor children are more likely to adapt to the new living arrangements in homes with family members or close friends because they already feel comfortable with them. Speak to a hard-working adoption attorney from Sussman Law Firm, PLLC who is qualified to handle cases for kinship adoption in Charlotte.

Legal Requirements for Kindship Adoption

The requirements for a Charlotte kinship adoption include being at least 18 years old, and depending on your circumstances, a prescreening may be necessary. Family laws in North Carolina are less stringent for family members pursuing adoption than they are for unrelated people. For example, if the child’s parents asked you to act as a guardian, allowing them to live in your home, the regulations do not require you to undergo a preplacement assessment.

However, when the minor is not already residing in your home, completing the Interstate Compact of the Placement of Children procedure may be necessary. The process entails a home study and background screening. Finally, except for cases of abandonment or the death of the biological parents, the child’s parents must consent to the adoption.

Petitioning the Court for Adoption

Adoption is a legal proceeding to create a parent-and-child relationship between the child and the person who files the petition. Once complete, the adoptee has the same legal rights and responsibilities to the child as they would if they were the child’s biological parent. The forms needed to petition for adoption are on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website.

Those entering a Charlotte kinship adoption process must file a special proceeding, requesting approval from the clerk of the superior court. Filing the petition in the county where you live or where the child lives initiates the procedure. After petitioning the court for adoption, the process takes approximately six months, and a compassionate family law attorney will be with you each step of the way for questions and guidance.

Kinship Adoption for Guardians

If you are already the child’s legal guardian, adoption will grant you full legal rights to the child, including making essential medical decisions and full access to their records. Adoption also allows you to add the child to your health insurance policy for coverage and grants them inheritance rights.

Speak to an Experienced Attorney About Charlotte Kinship Adoption

Kinship adoption offers you the beautiful and life-changing opportunity to provide a stable and loving environment for a child, giving them the safety and security they need to grow and thrive. The process also allows the child to maintain close, healthy family relationships with people they know and love.

The family courts prefer family fostering and adoption because it decreases the fear and anxiety many kids feel when they enter a family and receive care from unfamiliar people. Call a compassionate lawyer qualified to handle kinship adoption in Charlotte for more information. The Sussman Law Firm, PLLC, is here to answer your questions, provide experienced legal advice, and help you throughout the process.