Can you adopt your grandchild

With more than 30 years of adoption experience, our board certified adoption specialists can walk you through the process of adopting a grandchild.

If you decide to move forward, we can make it happen for you. Contact us for an initial consultation. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Additionally, although they may have a strong relationship with the child, states are generally hesitant to separate the family unit by granting custody rights to grandparents.

The exception would be cases involving death or unfit parenting as mentioned above. If it is determined that it would be in the best interest of the child for their grandparent to be granted custody rights, the courts will consider a few different factors. They will assess the frequency of contact with the child, and determine whether there is a meaningful relationship between the child and the grandparent.

The court will assess how long the parents have been unable to care for the child, and whether the grandparents requesting custody have been caring for the child during this time. The court may determine that a parent is unfit for several different reasons. Some examples include, but may not be limited to:.

Some examples of the factors that a court considers when deciding whether to grant grandparent custody have already been mentioned. Other examples include:. Some examples of the types of custody arrangements that are available to eligible grandparents include:. It is important to note that the above are variations of physical and legal custody; however, this does not mean that a grandparent will be awarded both legal and physical custody of their grandchild.

To reiterate, the details of grandparents taking custody of a grandchild will vary from state to state. This includes how much it will cost to adopt the grandchild. Most grandparent adoptions are considered to be kinship adoptions, and as such are considered to be open adoptions.

Under an open adoption, the grandparent may permit interaction between the child and the parents. The only circumstances in which a person cannot adopt are if: They are under 21 years old They have not been a legal resident of the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 12 months They have a criminal conviction or caution for offences against children or serious sexual offences other criminal convictions or cautions will not necessarily mean a person cannot adopt Is adopting your grandchild a good idea?

How does the adoption process work? How we can help grandparents raising grandchildren Grandparents do not have automatic legal rights in relation to their grandchildren.

As well as adoption, our expertise includes: Child Arrangements Orders A Child Arrangements Order CAO is a legal order that decides who a child should live with residence and how much time they should spend with the adults in their life contact. Special Guardianship We can help you apply for guardianship of your grandchildren.

Only certain people can apply to become Special Guardians, including: Someone named in a Child Arrangements Order in respect of the child Someone the child has lived with for several years Like with a Child Arrangements Order, the birth parents will retain responsibility. Get in touch with our grandchild adoption solicitors Contact us today for advice from an expert member of our Family Law team.

How can we help? Channel Referrer Device. Name Please enter your name. Email Please enter your email address. Phone Please enter your telephone number. Your enquiry Please enter a question. Grandparents may not agree with how a child is being raised, but if the child is in an intact family, there is not much they can do about it. Parents have the right, whether grandparents agree or not, on how they raise their child. You can petition to adopt your grandchild without a lawyer by visiting your local Department of Social Services or Judicial Court website and downloading the appropriate forms and instructions.

Although, some may find that having a lawyer enables a faster, smoother process. Feeling confident and following the instructions will help you save money as well as give you a sense of control over your petition to adopt your grandchild. Although difficult, it is not impossible to be granted custody of your grandchild providing you can prove to the courts that the child is in an unsafe living environment and that it is in the best interest of the child they instead live with you.

And one note of advice on those court forms. This is encouraged, as printing them and then handwriting the information will appear less professional. The more polished you are in presenting your case, the more you will appear professional and put together. The grandparents may dislike the father and feel he is unfit to parent the child, but neglect, physical abuse, or other abuses by the father must be proven.