Archives for July 2014

Years ago about the only way to adopt a child was through a licensed adoption agency. That was expanded in most states to allow adoption through a “direct placement.” This is a placement where arrangements are made by the birth mother, and birth father if applicable, with the adopting parents without the assistance of an agency or an intermediary.

Today birth parents and prospective adoptive parents are finding each other through the use of the internet. There are many sites that specifically post profiles of individuals or families seeking to adopt. Birth mothers who visit these sites are then encouraged to contact the families directly.

While this can lead to many successful placements, it also carries certain risks. For the birth parents a concern would be whether or not the birth mother is truly seeking to place a child or is attempting to scam them. For the birth mothers, there is really no guarantee that the profile posted truly represents the family. Some sites require a family to have a home study prior to accepting a posting.

In any event, while these contacts can be made and will likely increase, all parties should consider seeking the assistance of a reputable licensed local adoption agency and/or an attorney experienced in adoption law such as a Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Once there is contact between a birth parent and a prospective adoptive family, assistance from an adoption professional should be sought immediately in order that everyone’s rights are protected.

Adoption Attorneys in New Jersey

At the law office of Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC, our lawyers bring more than 25 years of experience to every matter we handle. Attorney Donald C. Cofsky has personally handled more than 1,500 adoption proceedings since joining the bar in 1974. Attorney Bruce D. Zeidman has protected the interests of clients in state and federal courts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 1984. We understand the challenges you face, and can help you identify all your options so that you can make good decisions that are in your best long-term interests. Contact our office online or call us at (856) 429-5005 in Haddonfield, NJ, at (856) 429-5005 in Woodbury, NJ, or in Philadelphia, PA, at (856) 429-5005. We also provide a free initial consultation in personal injury and workers’ compensation matters.

Help for Children Adopted Abroad

Around the holidays the US Senate and House of Representatives passed an act to allow the birth certificates of children who were adopted from foreign countries to be corrected, and for the federal government to recognize those corrections so that the child’s birth date would be accurately reflected. President Obama signed it into law just a short time ago and a major problem for these children has now been resolved.

Many children who have been adopted from foreign countries enter the United States with an incorrect date of birth listed on their birth certificates because a date had been arbitrarily assigned to them by the orphanages and that date was often based upon the appearance of the child and was frequently highly inaccurate. The result was that a child entering the United States could well be listed as being three years of age when in fact he or she was actually older by two or more years.

Now, because of this legislation, if a state court is presented with medical and developmental evidence which would indicate an accurate date, an order changing the birth certificate will be recognized by any and all agencies of the federal government. Prior to this act, the federal government would not do so which presented a myriad of problems for these children.

This new law was one of only a handful of laws that had been passed and signed into law during the past year. The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys was instrumental in working with members of Congress in drafting and advocating for this change.

If you have adopted a child who is faced with this problem, contact an experienced adoption attorney such as a Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys for guidance.

Adoption Attorneys in New Jersey

At the law office of Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC, our lawyers bring more than 25 years of experience to every matter we handle. Attorney Donald C. Cofsky has personally handled more than 1,500 adoption proceedings since joining the bar in 1974. Attorney Bruce D. Zeidman has protected the interests of clients in state and federal courts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 1984. We understand the challenges you face, and can help you identify all your options so that you can make good decisions that are in your best long-term interests. Contact our office online or call us at (856) 429-5005 in Haddonfield, NJ, at (856) 429-5005 in Woodbury, NJ, or in Philadelphia, PA, at (856) 429-5005. We also provide a free initial consultation in personal injury and workers’ compensation matters.