There are many strong and compelling reasons why adoption is a long process that requires a great deal of vetting and legal exactitude

If you would like help in negotiating UK adoption law so that you can give a child a home and become its legal parent, Simply.Law’s member adoption lawyers can help you do so in confidence.

Search through our member profiles today for help with any of the following:

• Domestic adoption
• Intercountry/transnational/international adoption
• The Hague Convention
• The assessment process

What is adoption?

Adoption is a process by which children who can no longer be raised by their biological parents are placed in the permanent care/parentage of non-biological parents. This may be because the court has decided it is in the best interests of the child or the biological parents are deceased.

However, the courts never take adoption lightly and the issuing of an adoption order is one of the most onerous decisions the Family Court can make.

For a child to be eligible for adoption it must be under the age of 18 at the time of the adoption application. The child must not be (or have been at any time in the past) in a marriage or civil partnership.

The power of the adoption order

An Adoption Order effectively means that the child’s birth parents and/or legal guardians surrender all parental responsibility for the child, with all responsibility instead becoming that of the adopters. Furthermore, from that point onwards the adopted child has the same legal rights as a birth child of the parents, including inheritance, next of kin etc.

Transnational adoption

The United Kingdom’s adoption laws apply to all children brought to the UK, irrespective of the nationalities of the adopted child or adopted parents.

As such, adoption agencies must carry out rigorous assessments of the suitability or otherwise of all prospective adopters.

Simply.Law’s member adoption lawyers can help with all types of transnational adoption, including the following:

• Hague convention adoptions
• Designated list adoptions
• Adoptions already recognised in another country

Simply.Law’s adoption lawyer section

The lawyers featured here each has experience of working with all the important parties in adoption proceedings; including the Department for Education.

For advice and assistance with all legal matters concerning adoption law and the adoption process in the UK, search through our member profiles today to find a specialist who is local to you.