Adoption

Adoption in North Carolina

At Wake Family Law Group, we understand the complexities of the North Carolina adoption process. Our adoption attorneys represent either birth parents or adoptive parents (but not both in the same matter), providing experienced legal guidance to ensure a smooth process and to protect the rights of everyone involved. We assist individuals and married couples with a variety of adoption matters, including:

• Independent Adoptions –In an independent adoption, also known as a private adoption, the adoptive parents identify a child available for adoption without the involvement of an adoption agency. The child may be from North Carolina or another state.

• Step Parent Adoptions – In a stepparent adoption, the spouse of a child’s legal parent seeks to establish a legal parent-child relationship with the child. We also assist same-sex married couples in formalizing the parental rights of the non-genetic or non-legal parent through stepparent adoption, often referred to as a confirmatory adoption.

• Relative Adoptions – In a relative adoption, the adoptive parents are related to the child, such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or sibling, and seek to establish a legal parent-child relationship through adoption.

• Adult Adoptions – In an adult adoption, an individual seeks to adopt another adult. These adoptions are often pursued when adoption was not possible during the adoptee’s childhood—typically because a biological parent, whose consent was required, refused to consent at the time.

We do not currently assist families with international adoptions or foreign re-adoptions.

In North Carolina, unmarried people cannot adopt a child or adult together.

Our frequently asked questions page offers more information about adoptions in North Carolina, or contact WFLG to schedule a consultation.