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Christopher R. Wampler and Eugene L. Souder

Adoption: Helping Your Family Grow

Last updated on November 6, 2024

One of the great joys a family can experience is to add a child to that family in an adoption. While the process is something very personal for everyone in the family, it is also a family law matter that has specific legal requirements in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

When you and your family are considering adopting a child, you can work with the attorneys at Wampler & Souder, LLC, from the start of the process to make sure you are on track with all the legal requirements from the beginning. Having the adoption process delayed or disrupted can bring heartache to a family and the children involved. Our attorneys will work diligently on your behalf to make sure the process works as smoothly as possible so that you can concentrate on your newly expanded family.

Work With An Adoption Lawyer From The Beginning

Children are adopted by individuals or couples for many different reasons. Every case is as different, just as every child is different. But some of the usual paths to adoption include:

  • Stepparent adoption. Many children are the product of a parent’s previous marriage or other relationship. For all intents and purposes, a stepfather or stepmother acts as a parent to these children, but they do not have a formal, legal relationship as parent and child.
  • Adoption by a close relative. If a child’s parents are no longer involved with raising that child, another relative such as an aunt, uncle, older sibling or grandparent may assume parental responsibility on an informal basis. Adoption can make this relationship official.
  • Adoption through an agency or without an agency. Some parents decide in advance of a child’s birth to have their child adopted if they cannot or do not want to raise the child themselves. Prospective parents may be ready to adopt as soon as the child is born. There are also many older children who are seeking adoption — some of whom might be foster children of the parents wishing to adopt.

Solid legal work is necessary in an adoption to ensure the biological parents’ rights have been properly documented and that they are formally consenting to the adoption and are giving up their parental rights. Our attorneys do the detailed work needed to ensure this is addressed.

Contact Our Family Law Attorneys Today

Please contact Wampler & Souder, LLC to learn more about our legal services and what you can expect in an adoption. Call us now at 301-732-7675 or email us your contact information to learn more about how we can help you and your family. We have offices in Frederick, Silver Spring and Marlboro.

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