Adoption Lawyer in Austin, TX
Adoption is a rewarding, life-changing process that helps you grow your family while providing a stable and loving home for a child. This legal process must be carefully handled to protect everyone involved and avoid unnecessary delays.
For more than 12 years, Iris Albizu has assisted clients with becoming their child’s forever family, taking on a guardian role, and terminating rights as needed. Adoptions have strict legal requirements, and you need an experienced adoption lawyer to assist you.
As an attorney who handles both adoption cases and immigration cases, Iris Albizu has assisted clients in adopting foreign children and later navigating the complex world of immigration to ensure the child obtains legal immigration status in the United States. Call us at 512-842-4421 to find out how we can help you.
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Adoption Under Texas Law
A Texas adoption creates a permanent legal bond between parent and child. As is the case with other areas of family law, decisions regarding adoption focus on what is in the best interest of the child at the heart of the matter.
Since this process requires court approval, be prepared for strict legal procedures, detailed documentation that goes above and beyond what you may expect, and scrutiny into your home and relationship. Working with an attorney who provides adoption legal services in Austin is essential to ensure that every step is completed correctly and that the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Adoption Legal Services
At Albizu Law Firm, we assist families with a wide range of adoption needs.
Stepparent Adoption
Stepparent adoption is a common form of adoption in Texas. It typically involves terminating the other biological parent’s parental rights and then allowing the stepparent to take on the full legal obligations that come with parenthood.
Relative and Kinship Adoption
Grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even older siblings may look into adoption to keep their family together and give a child a permanent home. This type of adoption allows the child to remain within their birth family while receiving the legal protection that comes with adoption.
Private or Independent Adoption
In private adoptions, birth parents work with (and often choose) adoptive parents rather than the process being handled by a government agency. This process can be complex, as it involves private adoption agencies, adoption lawyers on both sides, and the potential for a failed adoption. Legal guidance keeps you in compliance with Texas law and protects the rights of everyone involved.
Adult Adoption
Adult adoption tends to be more straightforward than other forms of adoption, as you do not need to terminate parental rights or secure permission from biological parents. Adults who seek this out often do so for purposes of formalizing long-term informal agreements, inheritance planning, or the peace of mind that comes with officially being part of a family.
International Adoption
Adopting from abroad is a meaningful way to provide a child with a home and welcome them into your family. Working with an international adoption lawyer ensures that you submit the necessary paperwork and documentation for immigration purposes.
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Termination of Parental Rights
Many adoption cases involve the termination of one biological parent’s (or both biological parents’) rights. At Albizu Law Firm, we understand how sensitive these proceedings can be. We’ve helped many clients navigate termination proceedings, both when the other parent is willing to terminate their rights and when they dispute it until the end. Our adoption lawyers approach these issues with the care, empathy, and respect they demand.
The Adoption Process in Texas
Although every adoption case is unique and slightly different, they all tend to follow the same general legal path:
- Consultation and case evaluation
- Adoption petition
- Completion of required evaluations, potentially including home studies and mental health evaluations
- Termination of parental rights
- Final adoption hearing
The timeline can vary dramatically, depending on the specifics of your case. Because we’ve provided adoption legal services for so long, we understand the high emotional stakes during this process.
International Adoption and Immigration Considerations
All adoptions can come with bumps in the road and unexpected delays, but international adoptions are particularly complex. In addition to completing the adoption in the country where the child was born, you must address the child’s immigration status by filing the necessary family immigration paperwork and documentation with USCIS. Because our international adoption lawyers also work in immigration law, we are uniquely equipped to help you in these matters.
Why Families Choose Albizu Law Firm
Families across Austin, Leander, Round Rock, and other nearby communities turn to Albizu Law Firm because of our experience in adoption law and immigration law. We are committed to compassionate and client-centered representation, recognizing how important and life-changing these matters are for our clients. You can rely on clear and consistent communication from our bilingual, culturally competent adoption lawyers from start to finish.
Contact Our Adoption Lawyer Today
Whether you’re pursuing stepparent adoption, kinship adoption, or another form of adoption in Texas, we’re here for you. Call our adoption lawyer at 512-842-4421 or connect with us online now.