Adoption Solicitors

Adopting a child is a profound and life changing experience. If you are preparing to adopt, it is imperative that you have the support of expert adoption solicitors to guide you through the relevant stages.

Adoption is a legal process used to transfer parental responsibility for a child from their birth parents to their new adoptive parents. Once the process is complete there are no longer any legal ties between the child and their birth family.

At IBB Law, our experts have much experience assisting individuals and families on their legal rights and responsibilities, allowing them to focus on their exciting journey ahead. We are experts across all areas of adoption including UK adoption, international adoption, LGBT adoption and adoption appeals.

We appreciate that adoption can give rise to plenty of emotions, so always offer sensitive support, taking your unique needs into consideration. With clear advice, our solicitors will help you to understand the processes, so you don’t feel confused about the stages and you know what to expect.

Complete support for UK adoption law

Our solicitors can support you with all aspects of the adoption process, such as:

Advice on adoption options and adoption law
Guiding you through the process of adoption
Assisting you to apply for an Adoption Order
Resolving any disputes if necessary
International adoption
Support in adoption appeals
LGBT adoption

Why choose IBB Law for help with adoption in the UK?

The Child Law team at IBB Law can offer you:

High level expertise in some of the most complex and challenging legal issues involving children
Independently accredited expertise with our Family Law team being ranked by leading client guides the Legal 500and Chambers & Partners
Children Law accreditation from the Law Society
Many of our team are members of Resolution, a network of legal professionals committed to removing conflict from family law reflecting our skills in avoiding unnecessary friction in any disputes

Call today to discuss your adoption with our expert solicitors

Our adoption solicitors are available in Uxbridge, Beaconsfield, Reading and Ascot. You can call one of our legal offices directly or fill in the enquiry form on our contact page and one of our legal team will call you.

How our solicitors can support you with adoption

Adoption legal advice

Adopting a child is a fairly lengthy legal process. There are various stages and all must be dealt with correctly. When you have decided that you’d like to go ahead with adoption, early legal advice is recommended.

Our specialist solicitors can ensure that you are educated as to all of the relevant adoption laws in the UK and that you understand what your responsibilities are moving forward. Receiving detailed legal advice from the beginning will set your application off on the right track.

Legal support through the application stages

To move both swiftly and comfortably through the adoption application stages, it is recommended to seek support from an expert adoption law firm, such as IBB Law.

Our solicitors will ensure that you approach every stage feeling adequately prepared and informed. All of your queries and concerns will be promptly addressed.

We have extensive experience supporting families throughout each stage, from the initial checks and assessments, to making contact with the birth parents’ lawyers, the approval stages and finalising the adoption.

Obtaining an Adoption Order

An Adoption Order refers to a Court order which establishes that the adoptive parents are legally the adopted child’s parents. The Court confirms that the birth parents are no longer the legal parents of that child.

When granting an Adoption Order the Court takes various circumstances into consideration. Our solicitors can support adoptive parents through the process of obtaining an Adoption Order. We can ensure that you are prepared for the process and reduce the chances of setbacks.

Adoption appeals

Under some circumstances, a child’s birth parents may choose to appeal against an Adoption Order. If you’re an adoptive parent who has found yourself in this situation, our adoption lawyers can represent you.

We appreciate that it can be daunting to be up against disputes and appeals in the process. Our team have much experience handling such cases and can offer sensitive and practical guidance to keep things on the right track.

International adoption

Our specialist international adoption solicitors at IBB Law have extensive experience in supporting parents in the UK to adopt children from another country. Equally, if you are an adoptive parent to a child from overseas, we can support you to secure their British nationality or legal status in the UK.

Our solicitors can help individuals and couples with overseas adoptions in various ways, including:

Guidance on immigration issues that may need to be considered
Whether an adoptive child can gain citizenship or if that child requires a visa
Support to appeal where an adoptive child’s visa has been refused

LGBTQIA+ adoption

At IBB Law, we can offer specialist advice on LGBTQIA+ adoption. Though the process is essentially the same as adopting as a heterosexual person, you may benefit from certain advice, for instance, guidance to apply for parental responsibility as a second parent.

You may also require specialist advice if you are considering international adoption. Our solicitors can advise you on the relevant legal issues and your eligibility depending on the country you are considering.

Our LGBTQIA+ adoption solicitors are experienced in supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples through the process and can answer any particular concerns you may have about your legal rights and the various stages. We can also help you to handle any disputes that may occur post adoption.

Common questions about adoption

How does adoption work in the UK?

In the early phases of the adoption process, you’ll need to contact a local council adoption agency or a voluntary adoption agency. The agency you choose will send you information about the process and arrange a meeting.

It’s the role of the agency to conduct background checks and check references. If, after this stage, both parties wish to proceed with the process, the agency will provide you with an adoption application form.

A social worker will review your details and work with you to determine the strengths of your application and then pass on your report to an adoption panel. The adoption agency will then liaise with the local authorities to help you find the right child.

Once a suitable match has been found, you will be gradually introduced to the child. An appropriate length of time after they have moved in, you will be permitted to make an application to be their legal parent.

How long is the adoption process in the UK?

Approximately six months is a common timeframe but the length of the adoption process may vary, depending on the particular case.

What does the Court consider when granting an Adoption Order?

When the Court is granting an Adoption Order they will consider various factors including:

If the child’s birth parents have consented to the Adoption Order
If the child has been living with the potential adopter for an appropriate length of time
If the Court has previously determined that the birth parents should no longer have parental responsibility (for example, if this is best for the child’s welfare)

What happens after an Adoption Order is granted?

Once the Adoption Order is granted, the child is legally adopted by you and you have full parental responsibility for them. The child is now a full member of your family and can take your surname. Depending on the circumstances, you may wish to change the child’s full name.

An adoption certificate replaces the child’s birth certificate and is necessary for formal purposes, such as applying for a passport.

Can an adopted child be returned to birth parents?

Once an Adoption Order has been granted, the legal ties between the child and their birth parents no longer remain. The birth parents no longer have custody of the child and it is unlikely that the child would be returned to the birth parents. Only in very limited and unusual circumstances might this be possible.

If you have concerns about a child’s birth parents appealing an Adoption Order, our solicitors can support you.

Does the UK allow international adoption?

It is possible to adopt a child from overseas if that child cannot be safely looked after in their country and if the adoption would be in the best interests of that child. It is also necessary for the adopter to undergo an assessment, to make sure that they are eligible to adopt the child from overseas.

Our adoption law team can offer all the information that you will need regarding international adoption and help you get started through the process.

What countries are open for international adoption?

There are several countries that UK citizens may be able to adopt from, including India, South Africa, China and the Philippines.

Certain countries are not open for adoption, including Ethiopia, Haiti and Cambodia.

When you start working with an international adoption agency, they will be able to provide more information about which countries you may be eligible to adopt from.

What financial support is available for adoptive parents?

There are a few different means of financial support available for adoptive parents, for example:

Adoption allowance (usually only for children with behavioural difficulties or disabilities who therefore may need extra care)
Housing payments
The adoption support fund (these funds are intended for therapy for families and adoptive children, to improve behaviour, confidence and relationships)
Grants for ‘settling in’ (these can be used to pay for items you may need for the child at home, for example bedroom furniture)