Adoption
Congratulations on choosing to adopt a child!
Choosing to make a difference in a child’s life through adoption is a beautiful thing. During this journey, you will need the help of a skilled and compassionate adoption lawyer to handle the necessary paperwork.
Legal Procedure for Adoption
Wasserman White Family Law assists clients in second-parent, stepparent, and grandparent adoption cases.
We will outline the typical steps in adoption and the timelines you should anticipate and compile the complete and accurate documentation required to adopt a child.
If a parent contests the adoption, Wasserman White Family Law will advise and advocate for you. We will present evidence on the factors the court must consider before granting a contested adoption, which are:
- whether a biological parent had custody of the adoptive child in the past year;
- whether there has been meaningful contact between the biological parent and adoptive child;
- if there was a failure by the biological parent to contribute to support and care;
- if there was abuse or neglect present between the biological parent and adoptive child;
- if there have been criminal convictions against the biological parent for abuse or violence against the child or a sibling; or
- if the biological parent has lost parental rights to another child.
We are experienced in contested and uncontested adoptions and look forward to helping your family.
Contested Adoptions
If the independent adoption is contested by a biological parent, then the Court may still grant the adoption after a Court hearing where evidence will be presented. The Court must consider:
- Whether a biological parent had custody of the adoptive child in the past year;
- Whether there has been meaningful contact between the biological parent and adoptive child;
- If there was a failure by the biological parent to contribute to support and care;
- If there was abuse or neglect present between the biological parent and adoptive child;
- If there have been criminal convictions against the biological parent for abuse or violence against the child or a sibling; or
- If the biological parent has lost parental rights to another child.
The primary consideration is to the adoptive child’s health and safety before terminating parental rights.
As experienced adoption attorneys in Maryland, we will outline the typical steps in adoption and the timelines you should anticipate, and compile complete and accurate documentation required to adopt a child. We also handle adult adoptions.

Work with Our Team of Experienced Attorneys
