Adoption Litigation

Adoption represents a significant change in the lives of parents and children alike, and there are multiple different types of adoptions, some of which are more complicated than others. Adoptions can take place through public agencies (through the local department of social services), private, licensed agencies, and independent adoptions. These are often situations in which the adoption is not being contested (challenged or fought).

There are circumstances which are typically more straightforward, such as consented to step-parent adoptions, and circumstances much more complex, such as when biological parents have had their parental rights terminated by the court and  where children have been adjudicated “children in need of assistance” (CINA) who cannot be returned to their biological parents for their own safety and wellbeing, often seen in cases where serious issues of neglect, abandonment, and abuse have arisen.

A contested adoption can be one of the most complex situations that can arise in this context.  This situation can arise in different ways, including when a biological parent challenges the adoption that the other parent has pursued or when parental fitness is at issue.

While adoption law is multifaceted and the unique circumstances of each case inform what type of adoption is being pursued, it’s an essential process to safeguard the rights of parents and children, and to help form families that are bound together in the eyes of the law.

Adoption can take a long time – months to years, depending on the circumstances of the case. There are numerous legal requirements and extensive paperwork to be completed. It is a multistep endeavor that is best navigated with the help of an experienced attorney.

As a litigation firm, our family law team has successfully represented clients in contested adoption proceedings as well as agreed-upon stepparent adoptions. 

Monica Scherer and her team are dedicated to providing aggressive representation and sound legal advice to our family law clients. Our attorneys have many years of litigation experience and provide effective representation to our clients in all types of family law matters. They are recognized as leaders in this field.