Adoption Lawyers

Prefer to Talk? Reach Out to Our Adoption Experts

When a child is adopted, they cease to be the legal child of their birth parents and instead become the legal child of their adoptive parent(s). Once adopted, the child loses any automatic right to inherit money or property from their birth family, but gains the same inheritance rights from their adoptive parents.

The birth family's right to information about the child and their right to make decisions about them are revoked and 'transferred' to the adopting family. Sometimes adopted children continue to have some contact with the birth family, although this usually is in the form of letters once or twice a year.

Domestic child adoption

The authorities quite rightly make sure that rigorous checks are carried out when deciding if people are allowed to adopt children. After all, every child deserves responsible parents and a stable home.

Adoption is a very serious step — that's partly because as soon as you adopt a child, they legally become a member of your family, and cease to be a member of their birth family. An adoption agency will help to guide you through the process, but it is wise to take legal advice from one of our specialist family lawyers before you start the process.

International child adoption

International adoption involves adopting a child from overseas who is without parents or is being raised in a children's home. It can also involve adopting the child of a family member if you or your partner were born outside the UK.

This is a complex and highly specialist area of law that involves heavy scrutiny from both the authorities of the child's country of origin and the UK authorities to ensure that those adopting are able to provide for the child emotionally and financially. The recognition by the UK of international adoptions is covered by several pieces of legislation including the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Adoption Order 1973, and the 1993 Hague Convention.

It is crucial to seek expert legal advice in order to navigate the legal aspects of international adoption and ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible.

We can provide advice and representation in the following areas:

• General advice to families considering international adoption, and bringing a child back to England / Wales.
• Advice on the duties and actions of local authorities or other adoption agencies in relation to international adoptions, including the assessment process.
• Representing adopters in adoption proceedings in the courts in this country, where the foreign adoption is not recognised by the UK and it is necessary to re-adopt here.
• Advising and representing prospective adopters wishing to take a child out of this country for adoption elsewhere, either where the child is in local authority care or as a result of a private family arrangement for adoption abroad.
• Advising relatives of a child abroad who may have been abandoned, orphaned or given for adoption in this country. These cases are particularly complex because of additional immigration issues.
• Advising and representing step-parents who have married a foreign national who has a child by a previous relationship where it is wished that the child should become a full member of the new family with British citizenship.