Everything You Should Understand About Grandparent Adoption While it’s common for grandparents to act as temporary caregivers for their grandchildren during a time when one or both parents may be unable to provide the necessary level of care, it may be better to formalize an adoption in certain situations. In 2015 alone, around 1,063 adoptions […]

Adoption vs. Surrogacy: Weighing the Options About 2,000 children are typically in New Jersey’s foster care system waiting to be adopted, and the number of surrogacy cases is also skyrocketing. In fact, demand for surrogates is currently outstripping the supply in some areas. However, deciding which alternative family expansion route is right for you can […]

Can a Biological Parent Block a Stepparent Adoption? About 5% of all children with a stepparent end up getting adopted by their stepparent. This sort of adoption can be challenging to navigate since it brings up sensitive topics like former relationships and child custody. Whether or not the biological parent consents to the adoption plays […]

Exploring the Pros and Cons of Open Adoption In general, 60% to 70% of adoptions are open. This style of adoption involves the adoptive family and birth family continuing to stay in contact as the child grows up. To see if it will work for your situation, it can be helpful to learn a little […]

New Jersey Foster Care Adoptions A child is placed in foster care when their biological parents are no longer able to provide them with the care they require. In these cases, it is not safe to return the child to their home. The ultimate goal of the foster care system is to reunite the foster […]

Legal Guardianship and Adoption Are Different Did you know that about 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year? Legal guardianship and adoption are very different, one being temporary and the other being permanent. Many people confuse these two arrangements since they do have some similarities. As a New Jersey adoption attorney, we […]

What if the Birth Mother Wants to Keep the Baby? Only about 6% of birth mothers change their minds about adoption. However, if the birth mother does suddenly decide she wants to keep the child and there is a contested adoption, the adoptive parents should immediately retain a New Jersey adoption lawyer. It is fair […]

One of the most common questions adoption lawyers hear is “how long will it take to adopt a child?” On average, most families complete their adoption in 18 months or less. However, the type of adoption you pick will have a huge impact on the overall timeline. How Long Does a Domestic Private Adoption Take? […]

Parents who are considering adopting a child who has certain types of needs may be able to qualify for various state adoption assistance programs. In New Jersey alone, there were nearly 1,100 adoptions in 2011, which means that qualifying for an assistance program isn’t always simple and straightforward. Before you begin the adoption process, you […]

Your Guide to Private Domestic Adoption Costs If you are one of the 20,000 families doing a private domestic adoption this year, there are many expenses to consider. Understanding the costs associated with a private adoption can help the process go a lot more smoothly. Agency Fee Many private domestic adoptions are done through an […]