Guiding You Through The Adoption Process
If you are a stepparent, adopting your spouse’s child may be a joyful occasion. You are truly becoming one family. If you are a grandparent, adopting your grandchild may be out of necessity — the parents may not be alive or may be out of the picture. Either way, the Illinois adoption process calls for caring legal counsel from an accomplished professional.
Attorney Terry Fawell has more than three decades of experience representing clients throughout the western Chicago suburbs. From our office in Wheaton, Terry Fawell has helped grandparents, stepparents and other interested relatives navigate the adoption process to make a child their own. She also assists clients with related family law matters such as being appointed the legal guardian of a child.
The Basics About Relative And Stepparent Adoptions
- A stepparent or relative can adopt a child when the biological parents are out of the picture. The biological parents’ rights must first be terminated before someone can adopt the child.
- The biological parents must be served notice of the adoption action. If the biological parents are missing, notice can be provided by publication if you satisfy the court that you have tried to locate the parents.
- Once a biological parent signs an irrevocable consent to terminate parental rights, he or she no longer has to pay child support.
- Before the adoption takes place, the court will appoint a guardian ad litem to do a home visit and ensure that the adopting individual will be a good parent.
Explore Your Options Today
To learn more about adopting a child in Illinois, we invite you to schedule a free initial consultation with lawyer Terry Fawell. From our office in Wheaton, Fawell & Fawell serves clients in DuPage, Kane and Will counties. Call us at 630-480-6253 or contact our office online.
