Making Your Relationship Official
As a DuPage County family lawyer, I focus on adult and stepparent adoptions. My typical clients have been in parental relationships that have lasted for years but were never legally recognized. From my Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, office, I help my clients give that parent/child relationships the official legal status they deserve.
My clients appreciate the personal service and exceptional legal representation they receive from my law firm. I was named a 2010 Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers. This is an honor given to only 2.5 percent of attorneys practicing for ten years or less.
Stepparent Adoptions
When a custodial parent remarries after a divorce, the new spouse often takes on an important parenting role for the child. It is not uncommon for the child and stepparent to form a deep bond and a desire to have that relationship legally recognized through a stepparent adoption.
If the child is still a minor, normally the other birth parent needs to approve the adoption by agreeing to a termination of parental rights. The approval is not necessary for a minor child if the legal parent has been declared unfit. Sometimes the stepparent and child simply wait until the child is 18 years old to avoid the other birth parent's potential objections.
Adult Adoptions
There are other scenarios in which one adult has been like a parent to another person for years. When this happens, often the parties want the older party to legally adopt the younger person thus formalizing the relationship for elder care decisions or for purposes of inheritance.
Personal Attention and Tailored Legal Services
In stepparent adoptions and all my other family law practice areas, I offer personalized service that is tailored to your needs. I never hand off my cases to paralegals or assistants. When you hire me as your attorney, you work with me throughout your case.
Either call my office at 630-873-3559 or e-mail me to schedule a free consultation.
