Texas Adoption Guide - Dallas, Texas Family Lawyers

Adopting a child is a long process, but any family lawyer will tell you that it’s definitely worth the hassle. Our Dallas, Texas Adoption Lawyers are here to make the process as easy as possible for you and your family. At Carpenter & Associates PC, we handle adoptions such as:

Same-sex adoptions
Step-parent adoptions
Adoption by a single/unmarried person
Interstate adoptions
Grandparent or other relative adoptions
Adult adoptions

How Much Does Adoption Cost In Texas?

Although your parental responsibilities to the child come to an end when the child attains his majority (which is 18 in most cases), the inherent commitment adoption brings spans a lifetime. Similar to adoption processes anywhere within the country, there are inherent costs incurred in undertaking this process in Texas. Adoption costs are generally influenced by different circumstances such as the type of adoption you intend to pursue, the kind of adoption attorney that will be representing you (taking into consideration their qualifications and experience), as well as the duration of the process.

What Are The Different Types Of Adoption Available In Texas?

When you are seeking to adopt a child in Texas, there are several potential options to explore. Our Texas adoption attorneys can help you decide what is the best course of action for your family.

Local Adoption

Normally referred to as Domestic Adoption, a local adoption is a situation where the children put up for adoption are based within the country’s territory. This adoption option occurs when a child’s biological mother or biological parents put their child up for adoption of their own volition. Domestic adoption is generally based on several reasons, ranging from a parent being financially incapable of providing for the child to the child’s birth parents being mentally unfit to raise a child, among other reasons. When looking to adopt a child within the state of Texas, your overall costs can be expected to range from $30,000 to $45,000. Intending adoptive parents would necessarily be required to be ready for the following fees:

Fees accrued towards hiring expert adoption services.
Networking expenses accrued from finding a child’s biological mother/parents where necessary.
Fees collected towards a home study.
Fees accrued towards securing child abuse clearance from the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Monetary payments to the child’s biological parents in line with the provisions of Texas Laws.
Traveling costs.
Expenses associated with the court process.

However, potential adoptive parents must be aware that the provisions of Texan law are available to mitigate the costs of adoption in the state. Foster parents have the option of exploring loans, credits, employer benefits, and so on, where they need assistance in financing their adoption process.

Grandparent Adoptions

If you are a grandparent wanting to adopt your grandchild, our DFW Grandparent Adoption Lawyers can help. There can be several reasons for adopting a grandchild, including:

Increased inheritance rights.
Eligibility for Social Security benefits.
Health insurance eligibility.

A grandparent will often have difficulty providing health coverage, enrolling children in school, and other activities without the parents’ consent or legal guardianship. Adopting your grandchild is another way to ensure you can provide the best care for them. In order to adopt a grandchild, the relationship between the child and their biological parents must first be terminated. A termination suit can happen simultaneously with the adoption suit.

Foreign Adoption

Foreign adoption means that the child to be adopted is a resident in another country. This option is quite distinct from the conventional adoption process, which begins and concludes within the United States. This is because it consists of a unique set of requirements as well as expenses which the adoptive family should be prepared to pay.
Contracting a registered adoption agency is advisable to ensure proper guidance through the international adoption process. The adoption agency is responsible for ensuring strict conformity to the substantive laws applicable to international adoption. These laws being: the United States laws which guide adoptions, the statutes which govern adoptions in the country where the child resides, as well as the adoption laws of Texas.
Some unique fees for international adoption include the travel expenses the prospective parents would be required to make to visit the country they intend adopting from, the costs involved in traveling within the foreign country, and the expenses involved in securing a visa, passport, and other necessities for the child.
The following are the standard fees potential adoptive parents who intend to adopt internationally should expect. These amounts may, however, vary depending on what country the child to be adopted resides.

Fees accrued towards hiring expert adoption services
Expenses accrued in traveling both within and outside the country
Adoption costs specific to the countries involved.
Fees accrued towards securing child abuse clearance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Expenses accrued in acquiring necessities for the child.

Texas Adoption Guide – Dallas, Texas Family Lawyers