Are you planning to adopt a child in Meridian, Idaho? Are you worried about where to start? Do you want legal protections in your adoption? Well, you need to work with the best Meridian adoption attorneys at Boise Family Law. We are experienced in handling family law issues, including adoptions, and can start working on your adoption case immediately. Call us now at 208-968-9060 and we can set up a consultation.
How Do I Start The Adoption Process In Idaho?
If you want to adopt a child, here is where you get started.
- Choose the best type of adoption for you. For instance, do you want to adopt a newborn or an older child? Do you want to adopt through a private agency or through foster care? Do you want to adopt a child from another country or local, specifically in Idaho?
- Choose the best adoption agency to help out. Here, you need to find out the average wait times to get your child or whether the agency will provide support and education throughout the adoption process. What’s the cost of adopting a child through the agency? If there is a disruption in the process what will the agency do especially if finances have been paid?
- Follow the requirements set out by the adoption agency such as home studies and surveys to make sure that the child you are planning to adopt will be a good fit in your home.
- Connect with people planning to give up their children for adoption. If you are planning to adopt a newborn, you should be able to meet with the parents of the child and initiate a relationship.
- Finalize the adoption legally using a good Meridian adoption attorney at Boise Family Law.
What Are The Phases Of The Adoption Process In Idaho?
Once you have chosen a good adoption agency, they should be able to outline the legal process of adopting a child as mentioned above. However, it’s always a good idea to have an attorney throughout the whole process to avoid any disappointments.
You need to be protected legally considering there are so many adoption agencies that take advantage of people looking to adopt a child. With Boise Family Law, we can make sure that you are safe and protected throughout the entire adoption process.
Is The Birth Father Required To Be Involved In The Adoption Process In Idaho?
In any adoption case in Idaho, consent is very important. If not handled properly, the adoption will not be finalized. The consent should be provided in writing before an authorized officer, magistrate, or district judge. There is no exact time on how long a birth parent should wait before giving consent to an adoption. Consent must be provided by:
- Both parents if the child was born or conceived during marriage.
- The mother of the child if the child was born outside marriage.
- The unmarried birth father if he has established paternity or been ascertained by the court to be the father of the child before the time the mother provided consent.
- The child’s legally appointed guardian.
- The conservator or guardian of an adult who is incapacitated.
- The spouse of the adopted person if it is an adult adoption.
- The father of the child born outside marriage if the father had adopted the child by acknowledgment.
- The child if they are 12 years old and above unless the court determines that they are not mentally capable of giving consent.
If a birth parent takes back their consent and petitions for custody of the child, the birth parents should reimburse the adoptive parents all the expenses incurred. With our Meridian adoption lawyers, we can make sure that the adoption consent process is not voided for any of the reasons mentioned above.
Do You Have To Be Wealthy To Adopt In Idaho?
If you want to adopt a child, you must own a home or rent one but there should be enough space to accommodate the child you are planning to adopt. A completed home study should be done to determine whether or not you can adopt a child. No, you don’t need to be rich you adopt a child but you should have a stable income to be able to provide for the family.
What Are The Adoption Costs In Idaho?
If you don’t want to foster a child but adopt, you need to work with a private adoption agency or an approved certified adoption professional. You need to pay for your own home study which costs between $800 to $1,200.
How Long Does The Adoption Process Take?
The time it takes to adopt a child in Idaho is dependent on a few things. These include the following.
- The age of the child.
- The needs of the child, especially for children with special needs.
- The number of applicants waiting to adopt.
- The legal considerations in place before you can adopt a child in Idaho.
With all these factors in consideration, it can take as long as 6 weeks before a child will be placed with you. Make sure you have the right family law attorney to help out throughout the whole process.
How Long Until The Adoption Is Finalized In Idaho?
Before you receive the final decree of adoption from the judge, you have to complete post-placement visits and the adoption finalization hearing. Once the child has been placed with you before the adoption process, the same social worker who conducted the social study will do the post-placement visit to determine whether or not everyone is adjusting well.
These will be scheduled monthly visits for a period of 6 or more months. Before the finalization hearing, the judge will review the case to determine that everything was completed legally. The hearing should take an hour long and you will receive the new birth certificate in the mail. Make sure your Meridian adoption attorney is present for this process.
Will The Adopted Children Know About Their Birth Family?
It depends on whether it was an open or closed adoption. With a closed adoption, there is no access to the birth parents until the child reaches 18 years of age. With open adoption, the child has access to the birth parents as many times as they wish.
Can A Mother Revoke Her Consent To Adoption?
Yes, the mother has the right to revoke her consent to the adoption process if it was obtained through fraud or coercion. She might also revoke consent if it is in the best interest of the child to do so. If a mother revokes her consent in an adoption case, make sure you have the right legal representation to avoid further hassles when it comes to the adoption process.
Contact Our Meridian Adoption Attorneys
If you are planning to adopt, you need to make sure that you follow the law. If anything is not up to the letter of the law, the child will be taken away from you. Adoption is not an easy process and it might take up to a year to get the final adoption decree from the judge. Therefore, you need to be prepared to wait as long as it takes.
Note that, with the best Meridian adoption lawyers, the process should be hassle-free. At Boise Family Law, we are prepared to handle your adoption process without fail. We have worked with numerous adoptive parents over the years to ensure success. We will take you every step of the way to make sure you are not feeling overwhelmed. We want to make sure that you make a happy home for the child you are planning to adopt so call us today so we can start working on your case.
