Sometimes parents are unable or unwilling to raise their children, and Grandparents step in to provide the love and care needed by their grandchild. In some families, the Grandparents are the only parents a child has ever known. Florida Grandparent adoption provides a child permanency and legally establishes the parent-child relationship between the Grandparent and child.
Florida adoption law allows for a simplified procedure for adoption by a Grandparent and a home study is not required (except in rate instances when a child is in DCF custody). The adopting Grandparent must be a legal grandparent, not someone just considered a Grandparent.
A Florida Grandparent Adoption terminates the rights of the parents, making the Grandparent the legal parent of the child. Normally the child’s parents must consent, but there are situations where a Florida Grandparent adoption may be granted without the parents’ consent. If the parent or parents have abandoned the child or are otherwise deemed to have waived their consent or are deemed unfit, it may be possible for the Florida Grandparent adoption to proceed without the parent’s consent. Often a parent will agree to consent to the adoption and terminate their rights, to eliminate their child support obligation and to allow their child a legally permanent parental relationship. Their cooperation and consent to the Grandparent adoption will help reduce the costs of the adoption.
A Florida Grandparent Adoption involves terminating the rights of the child’s biological and/or legal parents, while transferring parental rights to the adopting Grandparent or Grandparents. As a result of a adoption, the adopting Grandparents will become full legal parents, as if the child was born to them or of their marriage.
The Federal Adoption Tax Credit for qualified adoption expenses is available for Grandparents who qualify. This credit can help to greatly reduce the costs of adoption by reducing your income tax obligation by the amount of qualified expenses.
The Florida Adoption lawyers at The Adoption Law Offices of Madonna M. Finney, with offices in Tallahassee, Pensacola and Franklin County, are experienced in assisting families with Grandparent adoption. The advice of an experienced Grandparent adoption lawyer can be invaluable. We prepare the court documents, attend all hearings before the judge, obtain the new birth certificate and advise you along the way. Our firm has been providing comprehensive representation in all aspects of the Grandparent adoption process for more than 20 years. Madonna is the Panhandle’s only Board Certified Adoption Lawyer, recognized by the Florida Bar as an expert in adoption law. Her firm handles Grandparent adoptions in Tallahassee, Quincy, Hosford, Monticello, Crawfordville, Apalachicola, Carabelle, Wakulla, Jefferson and Franklin counties. Call the Florida Adoption Law Firm of Madonna M. Finney to learn more about the process of adopting a grandchild in Florida. Call us at (850)577-3077 for more information.
