Adoption

Finding a child a loving home is a joyous and rewarding experience.  A family becomes complete when a new child is legally adopted.  A child wins a new-found sense of security and belonging.  Parents win the love and support of their adoptive children.  An experienced Knoxville adoption attorney can prove to be invaluable as you complete the filing and placement processes. 

The law office of James R. LaFevor has considerable experience safeguarding the rights of birth parents, foster parents, and adoptive parents in Tennessee private and public placement adoptions.  If you are in planning to adopt a child in Tennessee, our firm can help. From offices located in Knoxville, we serve clients throughout Tennessee, including, but not limited to Knox, Blount, Sevier, Anderson, Jefferson, Grainger and Loudon counties.

The scope of the adoption practice encompasses a broad range of legal issues, including:

Our Knoxville law firm has substantial legal experience representing foster parents, biological parents and adoptive parents in public adoptions and private placement adoptions. We offer families the guidance and support they need to complete the rigorous filing and child placement process. Our attorney can guide you through all the stages of the adoption process, from the initial orientation, to the training classes, to the home study and the background checks.

Tennessee adoptions can involve particular difficulties.  The lawyer you have by your side can make all the difference. 

You may not know that, aside from the child's legal guardian, the biological father must consent to an adoption proceeding or have his rights legally terminated for it to be legally valid in Tennessee.  When the father's whereabouts are unknown, the courts require that every effort be made to notify the birth father before parental rights can be terminated.  Our firm can help you prepare a comprehensive affidavit of all the other steps you have taken to give notice so that a newspaper notification will suffice to inform the birth father that he is relinquishing parental rights. 

Relative and step-parent adoptions generally involve a less rigorous adoption process.  The court may waive the home study, the six month waiting period before the completion of the adoption, and the custody or guardianship order needed to complete the adoption process in all other circumstances.

In public placement adoptions, the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) may terminate the biological parent's rights if attempts to reunite the family fail.  Foster parents who have been caring for the child for more than a year have first preference in the adoption process. 

James R. LaFevor is dedicated to helping you complete your legal adoption in a timely and cost-effective manner. When you have questions about your legal rights in an adoption, please call our office at 865-637-6258 to arrange an appointment.