Kansas City Metro Area Family Law Attorney
Legal Advice for Missouri Families Adopting a Child or Stepchild
Adoption can mean many things for your family, depending on the context of the adoption. For some, adoption provides a home to a child in need. For others, adoption provides opportunity to have a family where it otherwise would not be possible. In these cases, adoption is overwhelming, but very rewarding for most involved. However, adoption can serve a purpose beyond building families. In many families, adoption is used to extend legal rights to a stepchild or stepparent.
The Michael W. Hanna Law Office is available to help western Missouri clients with legal aspects of all types of open adoptions and private/closed adoptions, such as:
- Stepparent adoption
- Foster child adoption
- International adoption
Stepparent Adoptions
For some children being raised by a biological parent and a stepparent, the other biological parent is essentially out of the picture. Adoption provides many benefits to both the stepchild and the stepparent. For example, adopting the stepchild allows a stepparent to extend statutory inheritance rights and employee medical benefits to the stepchild. In addition, adoption provides protection to the familial bond between stepchild and stepparent, should anything ever happen to the biological parent. Without proceeding with adoption, the stepparent would have no rights to custody if the child's biological parent died. The Michael W. Hanna Law Office can assist clients with all legal aspects of completing the stepparent adoption process.
Adopting a Child
When you are facing the long process of adopting a child, we can help you know what to expect and prepare you for the steps ahead, such as the criminal background check and the pre-adoption home study. We can help ensure the process is completed correctly so that years down the road, the validity of the adoption cannot be questioned.
Contact a Missouri Adoption Lawyer
For more information about adoption or to discuss your concerns with an experienced attorney, contact us in Raytown, Missouri. We represent clients throughout the Kansas City area.
Michael W. Hanna Law Office
10408 E. 63rd Terrace
Raytown, Missouri 64133
toll free: 888-881-0821
phone: 816-759-8928
fax: 816-358-5515