Virginia law recognizes the rights of birth parents to place their child for adoption with a family of their choosing. This is called parental placement adoption. Adoptive parents who want to receive a child by parental placement should speak to a qualified adoption attorney who can guide them and advise them as to their rights and responsibilities. It is also important for a birth mother seeking an adoptive family to work with a lawyer to know her rights and responsibilities.
The Irving Law Firm is a Manassas parental placement adoption attorney with more than 30 years of experience. He has helped many adoptive parents find a child through parental placement as well as aided birth mothers in finding a family with whom she is comfortable. Contact our office in Manassas to speak with The Irving Law Firm today. The office works with birth parents and adoptive parents throughout Northern and Central Virginia.
When the birth parents select an adoptive family before the birth of the baby, it is usually possible for the adoptive family to take the newborn child home directly from the hospital. However, there are procedures that need to be followed before the birth of the baby to facilitate this.
Because the family is not chosen by a licensed child placing agency, the court requires a home study investigation and report to be prepared and an attorney to be appointed as Guardian Ad Litem for the child, in order to ensure that the adoption is in the child’s best interests. Usually, the home study is prepared by an adoption agency hired by the adoptive parents.
A consent hearing also needs to take place in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, usually in the county where the adoptive parents live, at which time one birth parent, usually the birth mother, must appear in court with the adoptive parents to give her consent. The judge accepts the consent and grants legal custody of the child to the adoptive parents.
The Petition for Adoption is then filed in the circuit court. There is a probationary period of up to six months before the final order of adoption is entered. During that time, the social worker who prepared the home study visits the home three times to make sure that the child is doing well.
The Irving Law Firm, provides adoption legal services throughout Northern Virginia and Central Virginia from our office in Manassas. For more information, call us to speak directly with The Irving Law Firm or to schedule a consultation to discuss parental placement adoption and all of your adoption options.
The Irving Law Firm
9253 Mosby St., 2nd Floor
Manassas, VA 20110
(703) 844-4118
