As a senior adoption attorney providing service in Atlanta, we at Tom Tebeau III have offered legal assistance to families trying to adopt children for quite some time now. Adoption may seem like a simple concept on the surface, but once you start your research about the process, you will realize that there are many options and complexities involved in the process. Before beginning the adoption process, you must first make sure you have chosen the right adoption type. While you can go with different kinds of adoption, the prospective adoptive parents have the choice to either adopt locally or internationally. There are significant differences between the two types of adoptions. This article will explain what criteria you can use to choose between local and foreign adoption so read on.
It is not uncommon for adoptive parents to make adoption decisions based on emotions and adoption lawyers, such as understanding the sentimental value of adoption for families. However, the decision between local and international adoption should be made after careful consideration as it is in the best interest of you and the child you will adopt. So, here are some criteria to help between choosing local and foreign adoption:
Adoption opportunities: When adopting a child locally, you will most likely find newborn children or children of older age that the mother has put up for adoption. However, when adopting internationally, you will likely find that most children available for adoption are orphans; this means that the family history and the medical histories of these children are not always available. There is usually not much data available about the birth parents of the child either. If you are concerned about the factors mentioned above, then local adoption is the ideal choice since the history and information of the child are usually available.
Waiting time: International adoption carries a longer waiting time than local adoption because government and regulation of your country and the child’s country are involved. With that being said, working with an adoption lawyer such as us who has experience with international adoption cases can reduce the waiting times. Each international adoption case is different, so having us by your side can reduce the time needed to complete an international adoption. And if you have to find a lawyer, it is best to go with local lawyers who understand your state’s adoption laws regarding international adoption.
Adoption requirements: Another essential criterion when choosing between local and international adoptions is the adoption requirements. International adoption and local adoption have similar basic requirements; however, since international adoption involves the laws of the child’s country, there may be additional adoption requirements that you have to fulfill. Not to mention all adoption lawyers don’t handle international adoption cases, which means you will have to consult an adoption lawyer experienced with international adoption.
While international adoption may seem like too much work at first glance, it can be handled easily if you have an adoption attorney looking after the process. So, if you are looking for an adoption attorney near me, you can save your time and contact us directly for both local and international adoption assistance.