Bergen County Adoption Attorneys Helping Clients in Hackensack, Paramus, Teanack, and across Bergen and Morris Counties NJ
Adoption can be one of the most beautiful gifts that a step parent or adoptive parent can give a child. It is designed to give stable homes and good parents to the many children who may not have them. However the process as well as the issues involved can sometimes be very complicated. This can be the case when a single parent remarries. When the single parent enters into a new relationship with someone who acts as a parent to the child, often the child and the new parent in their life can and will form a deep bond and in many cases result in the family looking into options as they relate to a step-parent adoption. This is the legal procedure where an adult becomes the legal parent of his or her spouse’s, in most cases, biological child.
At Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark, our family law attorneys have a thorough understanding of the adoption process in New Jersey, and have aided many loving parents adopt children in communities across Bergen County, including Hackensack, Paramus, Ridgewood, Teaneck, and Fort Lee. Our firm is well equipped to help you with the many legal ins and outs of securing your adoptive rights in a compassionate, knowledgeable, and effective manner. Get in touch with our legal team today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your unique needs and concerns. When it comes to adopting a child most individuals want to be confident that the process is safe for both parties, their legal rights are protected, and most importantly, that they are educated and well informed by counsel every step of the way. Individuals who have not gone through the process can’t quite wrap their heads around the level of both stress and responsibility that these individuals feel, as they are making decisions that will likely effect their life and the life of the child forever. Take the first step for your child or step child and contact us online, or through our Hackensack, NJ office at (201) 397-1750.
Hackensack Adoption Attorneys Help Step Parents Navigate The Process
When a step-parent adoption occurs, there is no difference between an adopted child and a biological one, including for purposes of custody, child support, inheritance, and more. There are many reasons and often more than one reason to adopt a step-child. The primary purpose that most couples choose to go down this road, particularly as a parent and/or step-parent, is because the adoption enables the adoptive parent to retain custody if something happens to the biological/legal parent, grants all important legal parent-child rights and grants inheritance rights.
The process of adoption for a step-parent is relatively simple. Along with court documents, the only investigation required in the average circumstance are two background checks; the court will check the criminal record and background of the adoptive parent and in the same way do a check as it relates to any documented child abuse or endangerment in the individual’s past. Many won’t have a specific deadline that they need to or would like to hit for completing the adoption process, however, if you do it is important to note that it can take several months, so it is important to get the process started well in advance of when you are hoping to have it finalized.
How Abandonment or Divorce Can Effect Step Parents Custody Rights in Paramus NJ
Child custody issues in cases where the maternal parent abandons or abuses a child are far more straightforward than many would imagine. The adoptive parent, as with any parent, can petition the court for sole custody. Notably, step-parent adoption is much easier when you have the consent of the absent parent, which is accomplished with a notarized signature on a few documents. If you do not have consent or do not know where he or she is located, the process can get much more complicated, and costly.
In cases of divorce an adoptive step-parent has all of the rights of a maternal parent and thus may petition the court for child custody, child visitation and child support.
Contact our experienced Teaneck Adoption Attorneys for a Free Consultation
If you or someone you know are considering adopting a child, it is important to not let the daunting process of adoption prevent you from taking the steps necessary to protect there future and fill the present with the love they deserve. This paperwork and the adoption process are in place in order to protect your family, the adopted child, and in some situations the adopted child’s parents both legally and financially, and this is where having our experienced Bergen County adoption attorneys at your side can be of enormous benefit.
With more than 75 years of combined legal experience representing clients in all types of family law issues, including adoption, Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark has built a reputation for success and effective and attentive legal service with families across New Jersey and Bergen County, including Ridgewood, Hackensack, Paramus, Teaneck, and Fort Lee.
Speak with our legal team today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your unique needs and concerns when it comes to adopting a child in a safe, legal, and informed manner. Please contact us online, or through our Hackensack, NJ office at (201) 397-1750.
