Building Families And Protecting Children Through Adoption

Many family law issues are contentious and stressful. Adoption is the one bright spot. Rather than breaking up families, it’s about creating bonds and providing safety and security to children.

That said, the adoption process is legally complex and occasionally there is friction when the biological parent objects. The Law Office of Curtis M. Garner & Associates, LLC, in Springfield works to take care of the legalities and potential problems to make your adoption go as smoothly as possible.

Preparing The Way For A Successful Adoption

Our attorneys can help with different types of adoption:

• Stepparent adoption to cement the bonds in blended families
• Adoption by grandparents (or other relatives) to keep a child out of the foster care system
• Private adoption if you have located a birth mom who wants her baby to go to a good home

Our role is to make sure that all the details are addressed in the background checks and paperwork. We can prepare you for home visits, interviews or other measures to satisfy the court that the adoption is a good fit and in the best interests of the child. We can also draft or review an adoption agreement to make sure all the bases are covered and everyone is “on the same page.”

Termination Of Parental Rights

In order for a stepparent or a couple to adopt, the natural parent(s) must relinquish their parental rights. In the majority of adoptions, this is uncontested. Either that parent signs the consent form or they fail to respond and the court terminates their rights.

Occasionally, the biological parent(s) contest an adoption. Perhaps they lost custody because of incarceration, addiction, abuse or abandonment but are not ready to sign away their rights. In that case a full hearing is required, and we will go to bat for you in court to show why the child is best served by severing those ties. These are tense proceedings requiring forceful advocacy but sensitivity to family dynamics.

Let Us Guide You To The Happy Ending

We handle adoptions and related matters of family law in Greene County and surrounding areas of Missouri. To schedule a free initial consultation at our law office in Springfield, call 417-865-5297 or reach out by email.