I Have Been Thinking about Placing My Child Up for Adoption. How Do I Do That?

Published On - April 28, 2015

Stan Bennett Family Law

I Have Been Thinking about Placing My Child Up for Adoption. How Do I Do That?

An unexpected pregnancy can be the answer to a prayer for some people; however, for others it brings with it fear, uncertainty, and a flood of emotions that are not easy to handle. If you are not ready to be a parent yet, one option is to place the baby up for adoption. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be thinking “ I have been thinking about placing my child up for adoption. How do I do that? ” There is more than one answer to that question and only you can decide which direction is best for you.

Before pursuing your options you should take some time to be certain that placing the baby up for adoption is the right choice for you. Once you are certain that adoption is the right choice you will still need to make a few other important decisions. For example, do you want to pick out the adoptive parents? Are there certain characteristics or facts about prospective adoptive parents that are important to you? Do you want an open or closed adoption? The answer to questions like these will be important and will determine, to some extent, what direction you take from this point onward.

You must then decide whether to pursue an agency adoption or a private adoption. As expected, there are advantages and disadvantages to both options. An agency adoption means you will go through a formal adoption agency that will locate prospective parents for you. If you decide you want a closed adoption you may never meet the parents or you may meet them before the adoption but not have contact after the adoption. Either way, the agency will facilitate the adoption and will handle all of the legalities.

If you decide to pursue a private adoption you will need to find the prospective parents yourself, usually with the assistance of an adoption attorney. Sometimes the attorney will have a list of prospective parents while other times they will have to be located through discrete inquiries or even overt advertisements placed by hopeful adoptive parents.

Regardless of which direction you take it is imperative that you work closely with an experienced Tennessee adoption attorney. Pregnancy is an emotional time under the best of circumstances. Trying to handle the legalities of an adoption while pregnant can be almost impossible which is why you need an experienced attorney on your side to ensure that your rights are protected and that the adoption follows all the required legal procedures.

If you are pregnant and are contemplating relinquishing your baby, it is in your best interest to consult with the experienced Tennessee adoption attorneys at Bennett, Michael & Hornsby. Contact the team today by calling 615-898-1560 to schedule your appointment.

Stan Bennett
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