Illinois Adoption Law

Illinois adoption law focuses on building new family relationships. Adoption is a legal process in which the parental rights of the biological parents are terminated and the parental rights for the adoptive parents become permanent. Adoption is a wonderful way to build a family and to provide a permanent loving home for a child. It can also create inheritance rights for adults.

As an Illinois Adoption Lawyer, Erin Birt helps clients complete the legal process for the following Illinois adoption law services:

• Adult adoption – person aged over 18 may consent to their adoption and commonly used for estate planning;
• Agency adoption – the biological parents surrender their parental rights to an agency and the agency then places the child with adoptive parents;
• Co-parent adoption – same-sex parents, civil unions, domestic partnerships, or unmarried parents adopt the child/ren together and both will able to make legal decisions regarding the child/ren;
• DCFS adoption – the biological parents’ rights have been terminated by a court of law and the child is appointed a guardian. The guardian is able to consent to an adoption;
• Interstate adoption – the child resides in a state other than Illinois and a different set of laws may apply;
• Private adoption – biological parents place their child for adoption directly with non-related adoptive parents;
• Related adoption – permits relatives, such as a grandparent or step-parent, to adopt the child/ren. The parental rights of the biological parent, if not deceased, is terminated and the obligation of the biological parent to support the child/ren ends;
• Stand-by adoption – a biological parent authorizes the future adoption of their child/ren upon a future event, such as death. This ensures that custody provisions included in estate planning will be followed.

The Illinois adoption law process can be emotional. An experienced Illinois adoption lawyer will guide clients through the legal requirements to complete the adoption in a time efficient manner.

Illinois Adoption Lawyer, Erin Birt, serves clients in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Naperville, Warrenville, Winfield, Carol Stream, Bloomingdale, Lombard, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, and Oak Brook as well as other cities located in DuPage County.