Legally Adopt Your Stepchild in Indiana
Adopt Your Stepdaughter or Stepson
Most people think a step-parent adoption will be relatively easy.
You file papers, go to court, state what you want and the judge grants your wish.
While this appears less complicated than other adoptions, it is rarely that simple.
You need to:
- File the petition in your home county.
- Identify and find the birth father/mother.
- Potentially handle a contested court hearing.
- Ensure the adoption is granted.
Whether you're a stepmother or a stepfather, stepparent adoption can be a challenge. Save yourself a headache and heartache by getting professional help at an early stage. My fees are reasonable and I have more than 20 years of experience helping Indiana families.
Why I'm Different from Other Lawyers
- I can relate personally to your situation. I have four adopted brothers and sisters, and I grew up in a family that cared for dozens of foster children over the years. I know how important it is to get what is best for your child.
- I can advise you and help you obtain monies from the many subsidies that are available to families who adopt foster children in Indiana for considerable savings.
- I have more than 20 years of experience in handling cases related to adoption and foster care all over Indiana.
Serving all of Indiana
I’ve handled cases in more than 75 of Indiana’s 92 counties…from Crown Point to Evansville to Fort Wayne.
While based in Indianapolis, I serve the entire state of Indiana and travel as necessary.
My Specialties
- Adoption from foster care
- Private adoption
- Interstate adoption
- International adoption
- Step parent adoption
- Contested adoption
- Fighting abuse or neglect allegations
- Guardianship
- CHINS
- Third party custody
- Divorce
Contact me anytime (24/7) for a free consultation.
Why You Need a Lawyer
When court looms and the consequences of losing are unacceptable, don’t take a chance. Lawyers are especially important to:
- Handle adoption to make sure your child is placed with you instead of a long-lost relative or other home chosen by the DCS.
- Fight false allegations of abuse or neglect.
- Make your voice heard when the people who should be listening aren't.
My story
Adoption and foster care have been a part of my life since my childhood. My parents adopted four of my siblings to add to the eight of us who were "homemade" (as my Dad likes to say). Twelve children were apparently not enough, however, as we had many foster children live with us over the years! One thing that stuck with me about these foster children was that they all seemed to live in limbo, bouncing from foster home back to birth home then to another foster home until they eventually "aged out" of the foster care system with no home to call their own.
I entered Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington with the goal of eventually doing something about this problem of "foster care drift". Since 1997, I have devoted my law practice to representing parents who wish to give permanent homes to children through adoption, and also to foster parents who wish to have legal representation in a variety of settings.