Helping Families Grow With Adoption
Adoption days are some of the happiest days in our practice. We love being in the courtroom when the judge strikes the gavel and says the adoption is final.
The road to that day, however, can be challenging for adoptive parents. At the Law Offices of Kathleen D. Schneider, our goal is to bring assurance that it can happen and that, at each and every step, the right measures are taken. We help you navigate the red tape and the bureaucracy, and we protect your legal, financial and practical concerns during the process of adoption.
Our adoption practice includes assisting both same-sex couples and other families. We help you assess your options as a traditional or same-sex couple, or in a stepparent adoption, second-parent adoption or adoption by a relative or foster parent. Call 412-342-8577 to schedule a free initial consultation with a compassionate attorney.
Same-Sex Couple Adoption, Second-Parent Adoption
Pennsylvania law is quite progressive in matters concerning same-sex couple adoptions and permits anyone to adopt, assuming it can be shown to be in the best interests of the child. The partner who is not the biological or adoptive parent of the child becomes a legal parent under the law through a second-parent adoption. Second-parent adoptions give both the parent and child the legal protections of parenthood. As there remain some uncertainties in what presumptions apply to married LGBT couples when a child is born, we urge you to discuss your particular circumstances with an attorney.
Domestic And International Adoptions
Rules for domestic adoptions depend on whether the adoption is independent, is through an adoption agency, involves a child in the foster care system or is an adoption of a child related to the adoptive applicants. Our lawyers work with agencies or assist families with independent adoptions to put all of the legal safeguards in place to ensure the new parents their legal rights and peace of mind.
International adoptions can pose challenges and may require considerations of state law, federal immigration law and the laws of the child’s birth country. The seemingly cumbersome procedures required for international adoptions may pose additional challenges for gay and lesbian parents when foreign biases, written or unwritten, enter the picture.
We are familiar with the methods of each adoption process, and we have ample experience helping to facilitate matters so that you can begin to build a life as a family together.
Contact Us For Experienced Representation
Call our Allegheny County adoption attorneys at 412-342-8577, or contact our Pittsburgh office online to schedule a free consultation.