Spartanburg, SC Adoption Attorney

If you’re interested in building your family through adoption, adopting the child of a family member who is ready to give up parental rights, or placing your child for adoption, it’s essential to find a trustworthy family law attorney who is ready to guide you through the process. Not only is adoption a highly emotional process, but it also requires you to go through an extensive legal process that protects the child’s best interests.

No matter which side of the adoption case you are on, make sure you have legal representation you can count on. The team at Nowell Law Firm is here to help. Call us at 864-469-2481 to set up a consultation now.

Types of Adoption in South Carolina

At Nowell Law Firm, we provide support for a wide range of different adoption types, including:

• Newborn adoptions
• Foster care adoptions
• Stepparent adoptions
• Grandparent adoptions
• Special needs adoptions
• Open adoptions
• Closed adoptions
• International adoptions
• Contested adoptions
• Uncontested adoptions

How We Can Help

When you go through with an adoption, the previously existing legal relationship between the biological parents and child is severed, and a new legal relationship between the adoptive parents and child is formed. Before this can happen, the court wants to ensure that the new parents are ready for the responsibility that comes with raising a child.

The goal of Nowell Law Firm is to help adoptive parents or biological parents navigate each step of the adoption process. We’re well-versed in the nuances of domestic, international, stepparent, and familial adoption. We work closely with local adoption agencies, family court systems, and government agencies to make this process go as smoothly as possible for you.

We understand that the adoption process can be overwhelming, especially considering the number of people involved and the multitude of ways in which something can go wrong. We keep that in mind as we navigate your case, striving to keep you informed at all times. Our organized team stays on top of documentation needs, strict deadlines, and changes to your adoption file so that we can respond quickly to avoid unnecessary delays.

Your goal is to build your family or find a deserving family for your baby. Our goal is to make that as easy as possible for you.

Adoption Laws in South Carolina

South Carolina has a variety of requirements in place for those who hope to adopt within the state. First, South Carolina residents may adopt as long as they have met home study requirements. In general, the state forbids children from being adopted by non-residents. There are certain exceptions, including:

• The child has special needs
• The child will be adopted by a biological relative or a stepparent
• The child has been in foster care for at least six months and there is no South Carolina resident who is able or willing to provide the child a home
• One of the parents is in the military and is stationed in South Carolina
• Other extraordinary circumstances apply

The South Carolina Department of Social Services outlines the requirements for adoption. Adoptive parents do not have to be married, may or may not have other children, must be a resident, and must be able to meet the needs of their current children and family members.

Legal Support for South Carolina Birth Mothers

The process of putting your baby up for adoption can be overwhelming, especially when you’re already dealing with antepartum or postpartum hormonal changes. If you are planning on placing a child for adoption, you deserve to have your best interests represented during this process.

It’s a major decision, one that will affect you for the rest of your life. Before you sign away your rights, you deserve to know exactly what you are giving up, what rights you have, and other options that may be available to you.

Family Adoption Support

At the Nowell Law Firm, we know that stepparent and familial adoptions can come with their own set of challenges and concerns. When familial or stepparent adoption is necessary, it generally means that one or both of the child’s parents are deceased or unable to parent. This creates a crisis for the family member or stepparent interested in adopting the child.

As a family member or stepparent who is willing to do what is best for a child in your life, you deserve dependable legal representation. If you want to adopt your spouse’s child from a previous marriage, you will need to go through the process of having the Family Court terminate the rights of the other parent. This is a huge legal process that requires substantial proof that the other parent is unable or unwilling to meet the needs of their child.

If you plan on adopting a family member’s child, note that you have a significant advantage. In most situations, it is preferable to have a child stay within their biological family than to be adopted outside the family. However, you may still have to clear some hurdles with the DSS before your adoption can be approved.

International Adoption Needs

If you adopt a child internationally, you will need legal assistance to have the adoption finalized or domesticated at home. If your child entered the country on an IH-3 visa, the adoption was already finalized in their country of origin. In these cases, we can help you domesticate the foreign adoption so your child can have an American birth certificate.

In situations where your child received an IH-4 visa, the adoption must be finalized in South Carolina. While you are considered the child’s guardian, you must take the final step once you are back home on American soil.

Choose Nowell Law Firm for Your Adoption Case

Adoption is one way to build your family and help a child in crisis. With the help of an experienced adoption attorney, you can prove your ability to be a capable parent and go through with an adoption. Get the advice you need now by contacting the Nowell Law Firm. Reach out online or call us at 864-469-2481 to take the first step.