St. Louis, Missouri, Adoption Law Lawyers
The adoption of a child is an act of love and a joyful commitment to meeting a child's needs for years and for decades, come what may. Before you can experience the joy of adoption, however, you must meet the requirements of complex adoption laws, including stringent domestic laws and, often, international and state-to-state laws.
Before you decide to adopt, you will have many questions that require answers:
- Do I need to be a certified foster parent to adopt?
- Can my child's birth parents demand visitation rights after my child's adoption is finalized?
- What is the difference between an open and closed adoption, and can I chose between them?
- Am I eligible for any adoption tax credits?
- How much will my child's adoption cost?
At The Lake Law Firm, we can answer your questions and provide experienced adoption law legal services. We have helped numerous couples navigate the confusing legal processes inherent to every adoption.
Our interest with and commitment to adoption law is very personal; Kevin Lake, an attorney at our firm, is the adoptive parent of two children. Through our legal experience and intimate familiarity with the adoption process, we can provide comprehensive, "global" adoption services, including answering questions, referring you to services and agencies and executing the legal processes of your child's adoption.
We Can Help with the Legal Intricacies of Your Child's Adoption
Each adoption is different, and can involve the varying rules of private and government agencies, varying family arrangements and circumstances, and the laws of other states and countries. An experienced adoption law attorney can help facilitate your adoption. Common issues include:
- Foster care requirements. State laws vary in this regard. Illinois requires adoptive parents to obtain foster care licenses, while Missouri does not. We can help you with foster care requirements and the strict rules laid out by the Children's Division of the Missouri Social Services Department.
- Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). This compact controls the movement of adoptive children from state to state. Both the originating and receiving state will have varying laws, and each must approve a child's move. We can work to satisfy the requirements of both the sending state and the receiving state.
- Contested adoption. Contested adoptions involve disputes between adoptive and birth parents. Adoptions can go smoothest when an adoption lawyer ensures that your rights are fully protected. We can work to terminate the parental rights of the birth parents, and represent you in a contested adoption.
As experienced adoption law attorneys, we can represent you in all aspects of your adoption proceeding, and can work to solve any adoption law problem. We can draft your adoption documents, attend hearings with you, create a power of attorney for a minor and fight for putative fathers' rights. We can also answer your questions regarding adoption resources and connect you with private and public adoption services and agencies across the United States and in many parts of the world.
Contact Us
Adoptions and adoption law are complex and involve the future happiness of you, your child and your family. An adoption law attorney can ensure your adoption is legal and that your rights are fully protected. If you are considering an adoption, or have completed an adoption that is being legally challenged, get answers from a knowledgeable and caring adoption law lawyer. Contact The Lake Law Firm at 314-450-7861.
The Lake Law Firm
7777 Bonhomme Avenue, Suite 1501
Clayton, MO 63105
Toll Free: 888-660-4923
Phone: 314-450-7861
Fax: 314-863-7494