Let’s say your sister passed away, and no one is left to take care of your 3-year-old nephew, so you step up to the plate. Since you’re the aunt of the child and the most appropriate next-of-kin, you probably will not have trouble moving forward with the adoption of your nephew. Nevertheless, you need to make sure that you handle the Texas adoption process in a legally appropriate manner.
What should I know about Texas adoption laws?
In Texas, virtually any adult can adopt a child. However, if the child in question is over the age of 11, the adoptive parent must also obtain the child’s consent. Here are some other important points you want to be aware of regarding Texas adoption law:
— Any person may be adopted under Texas family law.
— Any adult can adopt another person in Texas. However, the other spouse must provide consent to the adoption if the adult is married.
— The child to be adopted must live with the adoptive parents for a period of six months before the court will finalize the adoption; however, adoptive parents may apply to waive this requirement.
— If someone objects to adoption, such as one of the biological parents, he or she will have a six-month timeframe within which to file the formal objection with the appropriate court.
— Adoption cases are handled in District Court.
— The Texas Department of Human Services is the state department that supervises the adoption process.
Getting help from a Texas adoption attorney
No two children, no two sets of parents, and no two adoption cases are ever the same. Sometimes, adopted children have special needs that must be considered during the adoption process. Other times, the parents and families involved have special needs and requirements that cannot be ignored from a legal perspective.
Because adoptive parents and adopted children bond with one another quickly, it’s important to ensure that Texas residents cover all their legal bases to prevent the threat of complications later on down the road. Indeed, if you’re going to adopt, you want it to be permanent, and you don’t want there to be any wiggle room for another party to challenge the custody rights you’ve worked so hard to obtain.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001