Adoption Legal Answers

We have two foster children, twin boys, and want to move to adopting them. They’ve been with us over a year. We’ve talked to the social worker and she’s told us we may need to undergo a home study before an adoption could be finalized, even though the social workers come to our home regularly and see the conditions and how well the boys are doing. Is the study required for all adoptions and if it is, what is involved? The worker mentioned that it may include physical exams for my husband and me, fingerprinting, background checks, etc. We just want to know what to expect and how to be prepared, and how long the process will take. Also, should we have an adoption lawyer present with us for a home study to make sure everything is done correctly? We don’t want to do or say anything that could jeopardize adopting the boys.

My wife and I are originally from Iraq and we are now living in the U.S. and are citizens here living in Atlanta, Georgia. We have tried to have a child but she cannot conceive. We are aware of the large number of orphaned children in Iraq and are contemplating adoption from our home country. However, we are Muslim and our faith does not approve of closed adoptions where a child does not know their lineage. Is Iraq allowing adoptions of their orphans and do they provide any information about the child’s parentage and background? How do we find a lawyer who is familiar with Muslim traditions and Iraqi law on foreign adoptions?

My adopted daughter is 17 years old and has had a desire to locate her birth parents since she was a young child. We have a great relationship and I am fully supportive of her wanting to know where she comes from, what her medical history is, whether she has other siblings, etc. I know that when I adopted her here in Raleigh, her record was sealed and is not open to the public. What can we do to get her access to her adoption record? Does she have more rights to her birth parents’ information once she turns 18?

My husband and I have two foster boys, ages 4 and 7. They are siblings and came from a terrible environment. Both are on the autism spectrum and have some other emotional and medical needs that may be lifelong. The Las Vegas foster care agency we’ve been working with is pushing us to adopt, but we aren’t sure we could meet all of their expenses if our foster care stipend was cut off. We asked several of the social workers about financial assistance after an adoption goes through but they said we need to talk to a lawyer about negotiating it. Does the foster care agency give financial help to adoptive parents if the children have ongoing medical costs?

My sister passed away unexpectedly a year ago and her daughter, my 13 year old niece, has been bouncing around from relative to relative since then. Her father and my sister divorced when she was a baby and he’s never really been in her life. He did not show up at the funeral to claim my niece. She has not been doing well since her mother’s death, failing school, not attending her sports, and using alcohol with her friends. My wife and I would like to adopt her and give her some stability, help her get back on track. If we adopt, I can put her on my health insurance, include her in my will, and get her other benefits through my work. Unfortunately, she says she doesn’t want to be adopted because it would be a betrayal to her deceased mom. Does she have to consent to an adoption here in New York and if she won’t, is there some other legal means we can pursue to legally be able to care for her. Perhaps custody or guardianship?

My wife and I are Arab Americans living in Seattle. I have full citizenship at this point but my wife does not yet. My cousin and his wife are Egyptian and she is pregnant. She is very young and they are not financially settled enough to have a baby. They want us to adopt their child and raise him here in the United States. Will we qualify to adopt if my wife is still awaiting citizenship. If not, can I adopt the child in my name? How do we find an Arabic-speaking lawyer familiar with both U.S. and Egyptian law to help us get the child into the United States?