Adopting a child can be a wonderful experience, but you may also be feeling stressed about the process involved.

Our expert family law solicitors at Gepp will empathetically provide you with all the legal advice you will need. We will ensure that you are aware of your obligations and prepared for each stage.

When you adopt a child, their birth parents give up parental responsibility, transferring those rights to you the adoptive parent, and your partner if someone is going through the process with you. Our solicitors have much experience guiding single people and couples on their adoption journey, we can help you to navigate the often-complex legal requirements.

Our experts can offer comprehensive legal support when adopting a child, including:

Legal advice when preparing to adopt
Legal advice regarding step child adoption
Applying for an adoption order
Getting an adoption certificate
Help with adoption disputes
Advice on international adoption

How we can help you with adoption

Legal advice on adoption

When you adopt a child you become their legal parent, and as such, there are various legal considerations you’ll need to make beforehand. Our solicitors can offer advice on adoption, ensuring that you understand the obligations you’ll take on and the requirements you’ll need to meet.

We recognise that adoption is a unique process for every family which is why we offer tailor made advice to suit your circumstances. In the early stages, you’ll liaise with an adoption agency, go through background checks, and have your details reviewed by a social worker. On successful completion of this stage, you’ll be provided with an adoption application form.

Our solicitors can offer guidance on completing the adoption application form and answer any questions that you have as you begin the process.

Adoption order

If your adoption application is a success, the local authorities and your adoption agency will help you to find a suitable child. You and the child will be gradually introduced before they come to live with you.

After ten weeks of living with the child you’ll be able to apply for an adoption order. When granting an adoption order the Court will review various requirements and circumstances, and our adoption solicitors can offer guidance here.

If the Court decides to grant the adoption order, you will become the child’s legal parent, meaning that their birth parent’s will no longer have any legal obligations to them.

Adoption certificate

Adoption disputes

In some circumstances, disputes may arise throughout the adoption process, and if so, our solicitors can be on hand to resolve these promptly. We can support clients who encounter setbacks throughout the application stages, or those who are facing a contested application, from the child’s birth parents.

Our solicitors know that it can be troubling to encounter problems and disputes, and that you may not know how to resolve these. Our experts at Gepp have assisted many individuals and families with legal issues arising from the adoption process and are in a great position to offer support, no matter what your circumstances.

International adoption

If you’re considering adopting a child from overseas, our specialist adoption solicitors can help.

There are various legal considerations that must be made, which is why it’s important to proceed with the guidance of an expert. Our solicitors can offer specialist guidance across the following areas:

Guidance on which countries are open for adoption and which are closed, including any eligibility restrictions
Recommendations to secure a child’s legal status or British nationality
Appealing if an adoptive child’s visa has been refused

Our adoption solicitors’ fees

For more information or advice

Contact Farhad Islam on:
Call: 01245 228106 or
email: islamf@gepp.co.uk

Contact us

Call: 01245 228106 or email: family@gepp.co.uk or request a call back.

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Area of Expertise

Advice on international adoption
Applying for an adoption order
Getting an adoption certificate
Help with adoption disputes
Legal advice regarding step child adoption
Legal advice when preparing to adopt

Adoption FAQs

How long does the adoption process take?

Can birth parents stop an adoption order?

The Court must grant an adoption order to legalise an adoption and in some cases the birth parents may attempt to prevent this from happening.

Whether or not the birth parents can stop an adoption order depends on the circumstances, but it is possible. However, no matter what the situation the Court will always put the best interests of the child first.

The Court can grant an adoption order without the birth parents’ consent if the child is at risk. If so, they will present evidence from social services that supports this. It could also be that the birth parents cannot give consent, for example, because of mental incapacity.

Does private adoption exist in the UK?

Can I adopt my step child?

Yes, it is possible to adopt your step child under certain circumstances. Firstly, you will need to inform the council, you should do this 3 months before you attempt to apply for the adoption order. It is necessary that your step child has lived with you and your partner for 6 months at least.

When adopting a step child, you’ll need to go through an adoption assessment much like the process that adoption agencies use. The Court will need a report from your local council, including information about yourself, your partner, the child, and the child’s other birth parent.

The Court will assess the case and determine whether it is in the child’s best interests for you to adopt them. If the adoption order is granted, you will have parental responsibility for them, as will your partner/their parent. The child’s other birth parent will no longer have parental responsibility.

Can I adopt a child from overseas?

Yes, it is possible to adopt a child from overseas if that child cannot be brought up in a safe family setting in their birth country. The adoption must be in the best interests of that child, and the adopter must go through a relevant suitability assessment.

If you are considering international adoption, you should first get in touch with a UK based adoption agency, you can do this by contacting your local council, or a voluntary agency.

If you would like more information, please contact our adoption lawyers at Gepp.

Adoption

How we can help you with adoption

Legal advice on adoption

Adoption order

Adoption certificate

Adoption disputes

International adoption

Our adoption solicitors’ fees

For more information or advice

Contact us

Request a callback

Area of Expertise

Your Adoption Team

Alison Gosling

Elizabeth Davies

Esra Dogan

Farhad Islam

Jenny Powell

Stuart Tyler