Adoption can be a wonderful way to expand your family and open your home to a child who needs one. However, the process can often feel overwhelming with so many different pathways that you can take. It’s important to be familiar with the different avenues for pursuing legal adoption to determine how to make the right decision for your family —…
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There are many children who need loving homes and adoption can be a wonderful and rewarding way to grow a family. However, there can be many challenges throughout the process — and LGBTQ+ couples can often face many hurdles. If you are an LGBTQ+ couple who is looking to fulfill your dream of becoming parents through adoption, it’s essential to…
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Adoption is a rewarding experience and a wonderful way to grow your family. However, it also takes planning and research, especially if you will be adopting a child with special needs. Whether you are adopting from foster care or through a private placement, it’s essential to educate yourself about what special needs means. You must also carefull…
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Adopting a child can be a rewarding and fulfilling way to grow your family. Importantly, there are several ways you can adopt a child — you can adopt from foster care, pursue the domestic adoption path, or adopt from another country. If you are considering international adoption, it’s essential to understand what the requirements are for that p…
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Adoption, guardianship, and custody are three concepts in family law that are often confused. However, they are three separate legal processes in Oregon that have very different legal effects on a parent-child relationship. Adoption: allows a non-biological parent to become a child’s legal parent with all of the rights and obligations that are av…
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Adoption can be a wonderful way to grow your family — and in most instances, the legal process goes smoothly. However, the finalization of an adoption severs the child’s legal ties with their natural parent (or parents). This is why the law generally requires that a biological parent be notified of the adoption and consent to it. But it’s imp…
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Stepparents love their stepchildren just as they do their biological children. But even if they are married to the child’s biological parent, they do not have the same legal rights, obligations, and responsibilities unless the child is legally adopted by them. There can be many emotional benefits and legal advantages to adopting a stepchild in Or…
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All families and children in Oregon are unique — and many people choose to grow their families through adoption. When a child is adopted, it creates a legal parent-child relationship between the individual being adopted and their adoptive parent. Although adoption is a joyful occasion, it can also be a complex process and there can be a considera…
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Stepparents often develop close relationships with their stepchildren and form strong emotional bonds. However, they do not have the same legal rights as a biological parent when it comes to matters like custody or making decisions on behalf of the child. Stepparent adoption can offer crucial legal protections for both the parent and child. It can…
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Adoption is a big decision. If you are considering growing your family through adoption, there are many things you should consider before you start the process. Being an adoptive parent will bring many changes to your life and the lives of those in your family. Not only should you be aware of the legal process regarding adoption, but you must also…
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Salem attorney Sarah M. Litowich is an Oregonian through and through, with roots in rural eastern Oregon and the Willamette Valley. She is grateful for these deep Oregon roots because she learned the value of hard work and building and maintaining st… Read More