Adoption Attorney in Texas

Fortunately for those lucky enough to call themselves Texans, there are many options to explore if you are interested in growing your family via adoption. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is the most direct method in that a child can be placed into your home and family directly by that state agency. In addition, many other agencies are licensed by the state of Texas that can perform that function. Finally, private adoption through a family you know or international adoption are options Texas families can choose to undertake.

Private Adoption in Texas

The law in Texas is such that a child can only be placed for adoption by someone who is either the birth parent, adoptive parent, or another legally recognized guardian of the child. No person other than one of these entities may either act as an intermediary in the adoption process. With all of this said, adoptions, where a state or private adoption agency is not involved, cannot be done with complete confidentiality. The reason is apparent- without intermediary acting on your behalves, you will need to work directly with the child’s birth parents to facilitate the adoption.

Private adoptions are a part of state law to give a birth mother and father the ability to say where their child ends up. In many cases, the birth parents’ relatives can step up to the plate and adopt the child. Sometimes the child’s birth mother will, on her own, place the child up for adoption with a person who is not a member of the family.

Costs associated with private adoptions are usually a significant concern for families considering this route. In Texas, it is against the law to pay money towards placement a child into your home. Essentially you cannot buy a child. The child’s birth parent cannot choose to have you and your spouse adopt their child because you can provide more money or other gifts in exchange for their child.

You and your spouse can pay for reasonable medical expenses related to the child’s adoption or the child’s mother. Doctor visits, medication costs, and things of this nature are what I have in mind when I am talking about reasonable medical expenses. If you are in the middle of adoption and are asked to pay for medical charges that seem a little fishy to you, I would speak to a family law attorney about that. If you knowingly pay for medical expenses that may or may not be reasonable, you could find yourself facing criminal charges.