Experienced Guidance for Adoption
Adoption is usually an exciting time for those welcoming a new family member. However, it can also be a stressful, emotional, and sometimes sensitive time. Regardless of your roll in an adoption, Bedlam Law will provide you with legal advice and guidance that is tailored to your family and your particular situation. We have been providing experienced, compassionate and committed representation in adoption cases throughout the area for over 30 years.
Representation for Wide Range of Adoptions
Personal experience with adoption gives us a genuine understanding of how adoption can affect individuals and families. Bedlam Law handles private or agency-managed adoptions and frequently work with Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) on adoptions of children in State custody. Bedlam Law provides assistance with a wide range of adoptions, including:
- Open adoption: In open adoptions, the birth parents and adoptive family may have an existing relationship or have developed a relationship in connection with the adoption. Personal information may be freely exchanged and there may be a desire to continue ongoing contact with each other and/or the child(ren) even after the adoption is completed.
- Closed adoption: In a closed adoption, the birth parents and adoptive family may have limited or no information about each other and there is typcially no post-adoption contact between them or the child(ren) being adopted.
- Step-parent adoption: There are many reasons a step-parent may want to adopt step-children and assume the legal rights and responsibilities of a biological parent.
- Private adoption: Sometimes a family has a direct connection with the birth mother and will work directly with her, or her attorney, to complete the adoption process, without involvement of an adoption agency or the State (DHS).
- Agency-managed adoption: In these adoptions, a private adoption agency or state agency (DHS) matches potential adoptive parents with birth parents and/or children, and many handle terminations of the biological parents’ rights. An attorney is needed to ensure proper termination of parental rights has occurred and that the child is eligible for adoption, and to finalize the adoption process.
- Confirmation adoption: For children born to same sex couples where one of the parents is a biological parent and they want to ensure legal rights and responsibilities for the non-biological parent.
Bedlam Law can also assist:
- Prospective adoptive families
- Married and unmarried persons
- Same sex couples
- Traditional and non-traditional family units
- Grandparents and extended relatives
- Step-parents
- Biological mother or father in relinquishment and termination of parental rights
In addition to handling uncontested adoptions, Bedlam Law also represents clients in a variety of contested adoption situations, including appointments to represent children being adopted (Guardian ad litem). These situations may arise, for example, if a birth parent challenges a step-parent adoption. We also provide advice and representation to biological parents regarding their rights and obligations and can assist with the relinquishment and termination of parental rights and obligations
Bedlam Law provides personal, one-on-one attention. We educate our clients about their options, rights, and responsibilities, allowing them to make an informed decision about their family.
