New Jersey was the first state in the union to adopt a policy stating that couples seeking to adopt children may not be discriminated against due to sexual orientation or marital status. It is one of the easier states in the union for same-sex couples to adopt children in. The standard, appropriately, for adopting a child in New Jersey isn’t about gay or straight. The standard, rather, is what is in the best interests of the child in question.

One way New Jersey same-sex couples can adopt is through a legal process called co-parent adoption or second-parent adoption. This is adoption in which one parent already has legal rights to the child in question. The second parent can then adopt the biological or adopted child of his or her same-sex partner without regard to their marital status.

Same-sex couples who have a baby through artificial reproductive technology, including artificial insemination, or by having a surrogate carry the baby to term may choose to protect their rights to legally parent the child through the co-parent or second-parent adoption process.

Same-Sex 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.