Adoption
Helping you navigate the adoption process
Adoption
Adoption is the process of a child becoming the legal member of a new family and stopping being a member of their birth family. Adoption can happen for many different reasons: perhaps you are unable to have your own biological children or want to provide a family for a child who doesn’t have one; you might be a step-parent who wants to adopt your new partner’s children, or you have decided that, due to family circumstances or for the safety of a child, you want to adopt another family member’s child.
To adopt a child, he or she must be under 18 when the application is made. Both birth parents must give consent, except in cases where they are not traceable, can’t give consent or the child is at risk unless they are adopted.
The adoptive parent must be aged 21 or over, have a fixed and permanent home and have lived in the UK for at least a year before starting the application process. There are additional rules if you are adopting privately or adopting looked-after children.
What is a Special Guardianship Order?
Special Guardianship Orders (SGO) are often used in place of adoption if a child is not able to live with their birth parents – e.g. because of family breakdown or illness – and the courts decide a guardian should be appointed to provide a secure family environment for the child.
Unlike adoption, where the legal relationship between a child and their birth parents is severed, a Special Guardianship Order maintains the legal relationship between a child and their birth parents. Special Guardians are often close relatives, such as a grandparent or aunt, or close family friends.
At Your Family Law, we are experts in adoption and are here to guide you through what can be an understandably complicated process. Contact us today to arrange a consultation.