Northern New Jersey Adoption Attorney
Our northern New Jersey adoption attorneys at Guston & Guston, LLP, have focused on adoption in their practice for many years. We provide comprehensive legal services related to all types of adoption. While our track record in crafting a smooth adoption process is excellent, on the rare occasions where complications arise, our skilled litigation attorneys represent clients in court on all matters related to adoption. Over the years, we have assisted many families with their adoption process, including private and international adoptions, gay parent adoptions, stepparent and grandparent adoptions, and contested adoptions. To discuss your adoption matter with a north-central New Jersey adoption lawyer, contact us at Guston & Guston, LLP, at our Glen Rock offices.
Domestic Adoption
Domestic adoptions involve parents who are U.S. citizens adopting children born in the United States. Domestic adoptions can be either private, or independent, adoptions, or agency adoptions. The trend in domestic adoptions is to create an open adoption, meaning that birth parents retain some level of involvement in the life of the child. Contact our north New Jersey adoption attorneys at their offices near Hackensack. Adoptions are a primary focus.
International Adoption
International adoptions are adoptions by U.S. citizens of children born in another country. International adoptions are usually closed, meaning that birth parents retain no contact with the child after the adoption is finalized. The requirements and costs of international adoption vary according to the country. To explore adopting internationally, contact the Bergen County offices of Guston & Guston, LLP, to speak with a north-central New Jersey adoption lawyer.
Private Adoption
Private, or independent adoption, is an adoption that takes place without a specialized adoption agency. In a private adoption, an adoption attorney matches a birth mother with adoptive parents. The advantage of an independent adoption is that the adoptive parents can be much more involved with and selective about the adoption process. To discuss your adoption questions with an experienced northern New Jersey adoption attorney, call (201) 447-6660.
Agency Adoption
Agency adoptions are similar to private adoptions in that the state-mandated hearings and finalization processes are similar. The difference is that an agency, rather than a private adoption lawyer, performs the match between adoptive parents and birth mother and child. Private agencies may impose health, religious, or income requirements on prospective adoptive parents. Our northern New Jersey adoption attorneys can help you find the right agency.
Stepparent Adoption
We assist stepparents with adopting the children of their spouses. This requires the non-custodial parent to relinquish her or his parental rights and to consent to the adoption. If this consent is obtained, stepparent adoption is usually one of the most straightforward forms of adoption.
Gay and Lesbian Adoption
New Jersey was the first state to explicitly allow adoption by gay and lesbian couples. Helping GLBT couples add to their family through adoption has become a focus of the north New Jersey adoption attorneys at Guston & Guston, LLP. We also assist gay and lesbian couples with the process of second-parent adoption or domestic partner adoption. Call the offices of our north-central New Jersey adoption lawyers to discuss GLBT adoption further.
Out-of-state Adoption
We have found that working with interstate adoptions can become complicated by the different laws of the different states. This is especially so when a child is adopted in New Jersey and the birth parents live in another state, or the adoptive parents plan to move to another state before the finalization of the adoption. Our northern New Jersey adoption attorneys research the applicable laws and provide advice and counsel on matters of out-of-state adoptions.
Adoption Litigation
Our goal for all adoption matters is for the process to move forward smoothly. However, complications can arise during an adoption proceeding. In some cases these complications can lead to litigation in court. We have handled many adoption matters requiring litigation, including contested adoptions. In adoption litigation, as in all adoption matters, the north-central New Jersey adoption lawyers at Guston & Guston, LLP, work hard to represent you effectively and with sensitivity to your needs. Contact us to discuss any adoption matter.
