There are several types of adoption all of which are complex and have significant legal implications.

The path to become an adoptive parent, whether you are adopting a child from this jurisdiction or another, is a long and difficult one and highly complex. You will be assessed by a local authority whether the child is a national or from another jurisdiction and in a domestic adoption you may be matched with the child. With an international adoption, you will have to consider not only the UK adoption laws but also the immigration laws as well as satisfying the adoption laws in the country of the child’s birth.

Types of adoption:

• Domestic Adoption - an adoption of a child within England and Wales where the child is either a family member or in the care of the local authority.
• International Adoption - an adoption where the child is being brought from a country outside England and Wales and whose adopters are resident in England and Wales.
• Step-parent Adoption.
• Foster Parent Adoption.
• Local Authority Adoption - when it is your child who is potentially being placed for adoption by a local authority.

Nelsons Solicitors can help you all the way through the adoption process right up to the issue of the adoption certificate.

We have a unique and highly specialist adoption team, consisting of a former local authority adoption panel legal adviser and an international children lawyer both of whom have worked in local authority and private practice and who have extensive knowledge of this specialist area of law.

Please contact us to discuss how our specialist Family Law Solicitors can help you.