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What You Need to Know About Adoption in Orlando, Florida

Here are a few things you should know about adoption in Orlando, Florida.

There are different kinds of adoptions in the Orlando, Florida area.  They are:

  1. DCFS Adoption.
  2. Stepparent Adoption.
  3. Relative Adoption.
  4. New Birth Adoption.

A DCFS Adoption is where the foster parent or relative that has custody of the child adopts the child after the parents’ parental rights have been terminated.  DCFS will pay the attorney that the parents choose off the DCFS list to do the adoption.

A Stepparent Adoption is an adoption where one parent that has custody of the child has remarried; and that parent and the stepparent have been raising the child.  The other parent, the noncustodial parent usually has no contact with the child and is not paying child support that he/she was ordered to pay.  This process is much easier, if the other parent will agree to consent to the adoption.  Many times, the noncustodial parent will consent to the adoption because the custodial parent will agree that they no longer have to pay child support for that child.  In this process, if the other parent does not consent, you must terminate their parental rights.

A Relative Adoption, is where a family member adopts a relative’s child. Has a grandchild, niece, or nephew been living with you as a family unit?  Do you want to adopt that child? Will the parents agree to consent to the adoption?  If the parents will agree to consent to the adoption, the process will be much easier. If the parents will not consent to the adoption, then you will need to terminate the parents’ rights in order to adopt. In order to do that, you must prove the parents are unfit under Florida Statute 39.806. You can prove unfitness by the following:

  1. The parent has abandoned the child.
  2. The parent is incarcerated for a substantial part of the child’s life.
  3. The parent has abused, abandoned or neglected the child
  4. The parent is a drug addict and cannot properly care for the child.

A New Birth Adoption is much more complicated. They deal with an adoption agency and birth mothers. You want to make sure you hire a reputable attorney who has done many new birth adoptions and understands the intricacies of this process.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not form an attorney client privilege. If you have more questions regarding Adoption in Orlando, Florida, you may contact Ann Marie Gilden, Esquire of Ann Marie Giordano Gilden, PA at 407-732-7620.

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