Adopting a child can be one of the most rewarding and exciting moments in a child and a person’s life. However, it is a major legal commitment and one that can be extremely stressful. If you want to minimize the emotional challenges involved with adoption, having an experienced and competent attorney by your side can be vital.

What are the options to adopt a child?

There are multiple ways that a person can adopt a child in Texas. These include:

• Relative adoptions;
• Stepparent adoptions,
• Foster child adoptions;
• International adoptions;
• LGBTQ adoptions; and
• State (Interstate) adoptions

Deitchle+Simone Law Firm focuses primarily on relative, step-parent, foster child and LGBTQ adoptions.

Texas Adoption Laws

Each state creates their own adoption rules so it is important to understand the specific laws in your state. Even though Texas has certain processes for adoption, a person seeking adoption must also comply with the rules of the adoption agency.

What to keep in mind when adoption a child in Texas:

• Any adult can adopt – there is no age requirement
• If the person wanting to adopt is married, the spouse must also be included in the adoption process
• Texas does not have any specific laws regarding same-sex couples or single parents who wish to adopt (adoption agencies may have their own criteria as to who they will allow to adopt though)
• Texas law requires that children over the age of 12 must consent to be adopted.
• A child is not eligible for adoption in Texas until the existing parental rights have been terminated.

How Does the Adoption Process Work in Texas?

There are some basic steps that you must be prepared to follow to adopt a child in Texas.

• The first step is deciding between a private adoption or an adoption through an agency
• You must have the ability to pass a background criminal check
• You will undergo a home study with an approved home study provider which will involve a visit from a DFPS caseworker
• Some cases will require an Attorney ad Litem to be appointed to represent the child
• You must be prepared to provide to your attorney/to the court many documents. These can include birth certificates, marriage certificates, order for termination of parental rights (if applicable), proof of residency and passports
• You will need to attend the final adoption hearing (the fun part)

Deitchle+Simone Law Firm will help you navigate through this process and will be there with you every step of the way.