Understanding the Process of Adoption in Missouri

Adoption is exciting, but it also comes with many unexpected challenges and obstacles. It often takes longer than you’d like to be matched with a child through an agency or the foster care system. You might be worried about whether the birth mother or father might come back into the picture and reclaim your child you love. The court system may move too slowly for your liking, or the foster care system may be dragging its heels on officially allowing your adoption to move forward. Even adoptions that have been agreed upon by all parties and done through an agency come with potential obstacles.

Until that decree is officially signed declaring that child is yours, you never stop worrying. That’s why you need an experienced family lawyer to help every step go smoothly. Feel free to reach out to me for a personal consultation. We will find a time and place that will work best for you, and you won’t be disappointed.

Not all adoptions are the same. Throughout my 30 years of family law experience, I have helped with adoptions:

• Through an agency
• From out-of-state or overseas
• By a stepparent
• By same-sex couples
• By second parents (non-birth parents)
• By relatives

Depending on the type of adoption, it may involve a lengthy process of being matched with an available child, demonstrating parental fitness, and gaining court approval. With every step, it’s important to have an experienced lawyer by your side, advocating for you and your child and ensuring you know what to expect. Please call me at 573-303-3015 or email me for an individual, private consultation with no obligation or pressure. Even if you choose another lawyer, I am certain you will gain knowledge from our conversation and be able to determine the best path to move forward.