Putting Your Family First

The Law Office of Paul Petrillo is family-focused and puts your child’s best interests first. I have over 15 years of legal experience with a strong focus on all matters of family law. I understand the complexities and frustrations that come from wanting to adopt a child or wanting legal parenting rights to a child you care for.

Adoption can be a hindrance for many family members or couples due to the high costs associated with the process. Even a straightforward adoption will cost around $3,000-$4,000. A lack of these resources can stop an adoption in its tracks. I work hard to strategize with clients on how to streamline the process, mitigate costs and give honest input on how the courts will handle the process.

Streamlined Stepparent Adoptions

Stepparent adoptions tend to be a positive experience for everyone involved. The process is simple and commonly used when a child’s father or mother is not involved in their life, has no interest in parenting or has passed on. The birth parents can choose to terminate their parental rights voluntarily, and the process can proceed smoothly from that point on.

Unfortunately, cases can become more complicated if:

• A birth parent is a drug addict or homeless
• The birth parent is listed on the birth certificate
• Another family member is stepping up to take the child
• The birth parent has not had their rights terminated
• A birth parent is in jail or prison
• A birth parent needs to be served

These types of situations may lead to a petition to revoke the birth parent’s parental rights.

Revoking Parental Rights

If the birth parent is listed on the birth certificate or is involved in the child’s life in any way, then the person seeking adoption must have the parental rights revoked. An experienced lawyer can analyze the situation and plan the best way to go about this.

Revoking parental rights is an entirely separate process from adoption. I can file the necessary petitions with the different filing fees and work to get the judge to approve. Then the case can continue with the normal stepparent adoption process.

Same-Sex Adoptions

You will find same-sex adoptions happen in a very similar way to stepparent adoptions. If the child is adopted from a national or global agency, the process will be exactly like a typical adoption. However, if one adult is choosing to have the child biologically, then the other adult will need to adopt the child to make it legally their child.

The biological parent will always be the child’s sole parent and the only one allowed to make medical or legal decisions. To be safe, you will want to have your partner be a legal parent in case anything ever happens to you. If you wish to plan well for the future, I can also assist with wills, trusts or overall estate planning.

Help For Any Adoption | 603-635-4149

Call me, attorney Paul Petrillo, at my Nashua, New Hampshire, office. I offer free consultations and can help find a sustainable solution for your case. You can also reach out online to schedule your consultation.