Las Vegas Adoption Attorney

Understanding Different Types of Adoption

There are multiple ways for prospective parents to adopt an individual. Understanding your options can help you identify the kind of adoption that's right for you.

Explore Foster Care Adoption in Nevada

Adopting from a foster care home is one of the most common ways for parents to adopt a child. In a foster care adoption, the prospective parents work with an adoption agency licensed by the state of Nevada to adopt a child from foster care.

Foster home adoption is often the least expensive way to adopt a child. Children in foster homes can vary in age, and it may be worth noting that some children in foster care situations have experienced trauma parents should prepare for and understand how to handle prior to proceeding with the adoption process.

Private Adoption Opportunities in Las Vegas

In private adoptions, prospective parents either work directly with an adoptee's parents or with an independent agency that connects biological parents with prospective adoptive parents.

Private adoptions are often more expensive than adopting from a foster care home, but it may be easier for parents to adopt an infant or a child who they can have full records for. It's also a good option for adoptive parents who want to maintain a connection with their child's biological parents.

International Adoption: A Global Journey to Parenthood

In international adoptions, prospective adoptive parents work with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to adopt a child from another country. This is often the most expensive kind of adoption.

Relative Adoption: Keeping Families Together

In a relative adoption, a child's relative - often a grandparent - adopts them from their biological parents. In most relative adoption cases, the child's biological parents have to voluntarily terminate their parental rights for the adoption to move forward. However, if the parents are engaged in a dependency case and fail to prove their fitness as caretakers, a court may terminate their parental rights and allow the relative adoption to move forward with the parent's consent.

Understanding the Adoption Process in Nevada

To adopt a child in Nevada, the prospective parent (or parents) must:

• Be able to provide for the child financially and offer them a supportive, loving home;
• Be at least 21 years old, and at least a decade older than the child they wish to adopt; and
• Be an individual of good character.

Your marriage status generally will not impact whether you can adopt in Nevada. However, if elements of your history cause the court to question your character - such as having a criminal record - that could complicate the adoption process.

You'll work with adoption professionals from the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services throughout the adoption process. As part of the adoption, those professionals will run a background check before deciding whether to issue you an adoption license. If you fear that some element of your past may unnecessarily prevent you from adopting, speak about it with your attorney.

In addition to providing adoption professionals with a variety of documents to prove you meet the requirements to adopt, you will also need to attend at least 30 hours of pre-adoption training. This includes classes to help prospective parents understand common difficulties adoptive parents face and enable their child to thrive.

Adopting through a state-approved adoption agency in your county shouldn't cost more than an initial $50 per person adoption fee, but private and international adoptions can cost thousands of dollars more.

After completing your pre-adoption training, professionals will come to your living space and conduct a home study to ensure your home offers a supportive, loving environment for adoptees.

Once you pass all the requirements for adoption in Nevada, adoption professionals will work to match you with an adoptee. Once you find an adoptee that fits your family, you can move forward with the adoption process. Even after finalizing the adoption, state professionals may check in periodically to ensure the adoption moves forward as desired.

Our Las Vegas adoption lawyers have the experience necessary to streamline the adoption process and help you efficiently move forward with your adoption.