Houston Adoption Lawyer

Experienced Adoption Attorney Serving Harris County

There are few experiences as fulfilling as welcoming a child into your family through the process of adoption. Despite the joy and excitement that couples and individuals feel in anticipation of being united with their child, however, the actual process can be arduous, long, and frustrating. Almost every situation ends up having unexpected complications that extend the adoption by months, if not years. These circumstances can become even more challenging if there are any changes made by biological family members of the child, whether by a mother who is giving up her infant right after it has been born, or by the parents of a child who is being guarded by Child Protective Services.

When you are trying to gain the full parental rights and custody of the child you desire to adopt, having a Houston adoption lawyer is the optimal way of navigating through the difficult journey.

Contact us now at (713) 999-6585 so that you can benefit from the dedicated advocacy of The Law Office of Jimoh PC.

Kinds of Adoption Cases We Handle

One of the reasons why it is so crucial to have an attorney who is specifically devoted to family law is because there are so many kinds of adoptive cases. Depending on the circumstances, your case might require completely different strategies to ensure that your legal rights are protected.

Our knowledgeable lawyer is very familiar with supporting cases dealing with all kinds of situations, including scenarios that involve:

• Adoptions of infants
• Open adoptions
• Closed adoptions
• Adoptions of children in different countries
• Adoptions of family members or stepchildren
• Adoptions of adults

How Long Does the Adoption Process Take in Texas?

This question is unfortunately difficult to answer, since many different variables affect the length of time it will take to make your adoption official. In some cases, if the scenario is an urgent one, or if there are no complicated challenges arising from the birth parents or previous guardians, the adoption might only take a few months.

If a child is involved in a Child Protective Services case, potential risks of the child’s former housing situation could mean that their adoption is expedited so they can settle into a safe home environment. On the other hand, if you have not yet completed a home study, or if the child is a newborn, the process can sometimes take up to 7 years.

Stepparent Adoptions in Houston, TX

Stepparents often seek legal status in place of biological parents in adoptions that don't follow the stereotypical scenario of a young couple adopting a child. It depends on whether the adoption is contested or uncontested whether these proceedings are simple or complicated. Such stepparent adoptions have two phases:

• Termination: Stepparents may claim legal status as parents when a court revokes a biological parent's rights. When the estranged parent has ongoing addiction issues or other issues that would make him or her an unreliable or unsafe parent, termination may be allowed. If the biological parent fights to maintain parental rights, termination of the adoption proceeding will be much more difficult.

• Adoption: After the biological parent's rights have been terminated, the adoption process proceeds, with the court determining whether the child will be safe and happy under the new legal parent's care.

Determined Advocacy for Your Family

Understandably, you want your future child to join your family as soon as possible. Waiting for several years would deprive you of precious time to spend with them, and perhaps negatively affect your ability to nurture them while they are younger. When you get in touch with our Houston adoption attorney, you can rest in the knowledge that we can dedicate all of our skill to finding out the projected timeframe and then expediting the process.

Call us today at (713) 999-6585 or contact us online and discover how you can have a clear plan for the future with the support of The Law Office of Jimoh PC.