Adoptions in Jacksonville Florida

Jacksonville FL Adoption Lawyers

There was once a time when the term adoption brought to mind the standard scenario of a couple who were unable to have biological children using adoption as a way to start and perhaps subsequently expand their family, and of course this still takes place. However, there are a number of different reasons why a couple or an individual may be interesting in adopting a child or, in some instances, even an adult in the state of Florida. There is a significant amount of need out there, and in addition to the many Florida children who need a home, there are children all over the country and indeed, all over the globe, who are in need of adoptive parents. For this reason many couples who are in fact capable of having children naturally choose instead to adopt, and there are single people out there doing the same.

In the state of Florida, both married couples and single people are eligible to adopt once they have reached adulthood. The law states that those seeking to adopt must demonstrate good character traits, and of course they must have the ability to provide for the child that they adopt, both financially and emotionally. One stipulation in the Florida adoption law concerning who may adopt is that at present, gay people are precluded from the right to adopt, though this mandate faces ongoing legal challenges.

Once an adoption is legally recognized by the law, the relationship is viewed in exactly the same manner as a biological parent/child relationship. In Florida, an adoption can take place through an agency, and this is the way that children who are unknown to the prospective adoptive parent or parents are usually adopted. But there are also adoption proceedings that allow for stepparents to adopt stepchildren and other relatives to adopt members of their family under certain conditions. And as previously touched upon, there are provisions for adult adoptions elucidated under Florida state law as well. The state agency that governs adoptions in the state of Florida is the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, and filings for adoption are submitted to the Circuit Court.

If you are interested in finding out more about the legalities surrounding adoptions, the best way to proceed is by contacting a Jacksonville FL family lawyer who specializes in these matters.