Adoption immigration lawyer helps unmarried couple adopt

When a person or couple from Maryland chooses to adopt a child from outside the United States, an adoption immigration lawyer can be of great assistance with the numerous legal issues that must be navigated. A Howard County adoption lawyer is well-versed in Maryland adoption laws and the laws regarding bringing a foreign-born child to the U.S.

 

Recently, a man and a woman who are just friends, were granted the legal right to adopt a girl from Ethiopia and both be designated as parents. The two became friends in 2000 and tried to have a child together with the man’s donated sperm, but the woman was unable to become pregnant. Instead, they decided that they would consult with an adoption immigration lawyer and try to adopt.

Upon traveling to Africa, the woman was the only one legally allowed to be declared a parent of the child. After their return to the U.S., they filed a petition for both the man and the woman to be declared parents. It was granted. The two live separately with the child splitting her time between the homes of both people. Both are considered the child’s legal parents.

Regardless of the kind of legal issues parents face, a Maryland adoption lawyer will be familiar with how to handle it. Whether the issue involves Maryland adoption laws, separation agreements, paternity actions, protective orders against abuse, or prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, a Maryland adoption lawyer can explain the sometimes difficult process of child custody.

In this unique case, the couple was forced to have one parent adopt the child and have an adoption immigration lawyer file for both people to be legally declared as parents. This was accomplished even though they are not involved in a romantic relationship with one another and are not even living together. People who have a similar situation or other unusual circumstances when it relates to an adoption would be wise to consult with a Maryland adoption lawyer.

Source: 

New York Daily News, “Couple who are just friends allowed to adopt, judge says in landmark ruling,” Dareh Gregorian, Jan. 3, 2014

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