Adoptions

Adoption is one of the few legal events that can be a great result for all parties involved.

The birth parents who have decided to place a child frequently have been through some personal difficulties or trauma. Nevertheless, by consenting to adoption they enjoy the knowledge that they have ensured the child’s secure future and done what was in their child’s best interests under the circumstances.

For the adopting parent or parents, the dream of being a parent is achieved. New, challenging experiences await.

And, most importantly, for the child, adoption is an act of love by all involved. Birth parents show a true love for the child by approving an adoption. New parents open their hearts to the child as they accept the responsibilities that parenthood brings.

The Law Office of David J. Brown, LC, has been honored to have represented various clients at each stage of their own adoption journey. We have represented birth mothers, birth fathers, teens and adults, adopting mothers or fathers, or both. We have been involved in adoptions in situations where all parties lived in Lawrence, Kansas. We have represented people in inter-state adoptions; and, we have represented people in international adoptions. In fact, David J. Brown and his wife adopted their children in Costa Rica in 1993.

We can help you if you

• Are a parent, or are pregnant, and want to place your child for adoption.
• Want to adopt a child.
• Have questions about the responsibilities that come with adoption.
• Need to know about the steps necessary to complete an inter-state or international adoption.
• Are in a nontraditional family or relationship and want to adopt children.
• Want to complete an adult adoption.

We work with doctors, social workers, attorneys and others to provide the practical day-to-day advice that is necessary before an adoption can be completed. We will help coordinate with various child placement agencies to help locate a child; or, we can work with those same persons and agencies to find a person to adopt a client’s child.

We have worked with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services in the adoption of children in the state’s care as the result of abandonment or child in need of care proceedings. We have experience assembling the extensive documentation that is often required to complete those adoptions.

We are experienced in inter-state adoptions and meeting the requirements of uniform child custody jurisdiction laws. We have also represented Native Americans who are members of registered Indian Tribes when the requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act applied.

We understand the ins and outs of immigration laws governing foreign adoptions. We can answer questions about how children adopted in foreign countries can gain automatic U.S. citizenship. And, when necessary, we can help complete the adoption process for those whose children have been given an IR-4 classification on their U.S. entry visa.

Finally, we are also aware of the benefits of adult adoptions in some circumstances. For example, when there is a desire to protect inheritance rights, or firmly finalize and formalize family relationships, adult adoption may be appropriate. We have experience in this area as well.

Contact Us

If you have questions about any of these areas, please contact us to set up a consultation appointment.