Why it’s important: Failing to use adoption sensitive language in a group setting can often lead to people with certain life stories feeling less than or excluded. Adoption is not an overly common experience, but it happens regularly enough that, when addressing a group of 40 or more, statistically speaking you likely have at least […]
Yes, Indiana Code § 31-19-7-1(a) provides: “A child may not be placed in a proposed adoptive home without the prior written approval of a licensed child placing agency or the local office approved for that purpose by the department.” This includes a criminal check, as defined in Indiana Code § 31-9-2-22.5, of all persons, at […]
Coincidentally, this morning, we, at Adoption Attorneys Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. (“Kirsh & Kirsh”) received separate inquiries from our website, www.IndianaAdoption.com, from 18- and 19-year-olds, interested in adopting newborns and wanted to know if they were old enough to adopt. Indiana adoption statutes do not specify a minimum age to adopt. However, as adoption attorneys, […]
Indiana Code 31-19-16 allows for post adoption contact agreements (PACA) between adoptive parents and biological parents that are willing to sign a consent to the adoption. Indiana Code 31-19-16.5 allows for post adoption contact agreements between siblings that are being adopted. The former happens much more often than the latter. This is because siblings are […]
Just the other day, I, Steve Kirsh, an adoption lawyer with the Adoption Law Firm Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. (“Kirsh & Kirsh”) had a Zoom Meeting with prospective adoptive parents, who told me that they had been working with a national adoption agency, which matched them with an expectant mother. Between the upfront agency fees […]
As the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven . . . .” For prospective adoptive parents waiting and wondering if a birth mother will ever choose them, time passes at a glacial pace. They fear that they will never realize their dreams […]
Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., is an adoption law firm. Indiana Code 35-46-1-22 allows attorneys to provide “adoption services” in addition to legal services. For the most part, the “adoption services” specified in Indiana Code 35-46-1-22 are the same for adoption attorneys as adoption agencies. The notable exception is that adoption attorneys are not permitted to […]
When a divorced parent or a single parent whose child was born out of wedlock gets married, it is common for her new spouse to adopt her children. There can be numerous reasons for the adoption, including health insurance issues, inheritance rights and, perhaps most importantly, to create the familial bond as the newly formed […]
Post adoption updates provide birth parents more than just a window into the adoptee’s life. These updates give birth parents the peace of mind they need in order to feel confident in their decision. Contrary to what many prospective adoptive parents might believe, these updates do not increase the likelihood that the birth parents will […]
For people who want to have a family, especially for couples who are unable to have children on their own, adoption can be the most joyful experience of their entire lives. The adoption process can be complex at times, and the assistance of an experienced attorney can help to ensure that everything goes smoothly. At […]
