According to the Adoption Council of Canada, around 76,000 children in Canada are living with foster parents or other forms of public care; out of these, approximately 22,000 are legally available for adoption. However, only about 1,700 children are adopted each year, making finding loving homes for children a concern for Canadian Governments. Therefore, more people need to consider adopting children, as it allows children to grow up in loving and stable homes and lets adoptive parents form meaningful relationships and experience life with their children.

But adopting children in Canada can be a complicated process, making it vital for people considering adoption to get the services of family law lawyers. This blog discusses the importance of hiring a family lawyer for adoption.

 Makes the Adoption Process Quicker

The adoption process in Canada can be lengthy, expensive, and complicated. Whether you’re trying to adopt a child from the Canadian foster care system, a private domestic adoption agency, another country, or a relative, the adoption process has many requirements you need to meet. You need to understand the requirements of your preferred option and need assistance from a family lawyer to proceed further.

For instance, the process can be pretty simple if you want to adopt a stepchild or a niece or nephew. On the other hand, adoption can be complicated and take a lot of time if you’re trying to adopt a child from overseas. A family lawyer can speed up the process by helping you understand eligibility requirements, gather required documents, handle the paperwork, and ensure that all aspects of the adoption are managed correctly to move things forward quickly.

Helps You Learn About Your Rights

According to the Canadian Family Law, adopted children and adoptive parents get rights before, during, and after adoption. For instance, in every Canadian province and territory, children above a specified age (7-12) have the right to consent to their adoption for the process to move forward.

Even children who’re under 7 are still consulted before being adopted.

Additionally, these children get beneficiary rights like the children of biological parents. In the same way, adoptive parents become legal parents of children and can make decisions for them as minors. A family lawyer can help parents protect their rights and the rights of the adopted kids.

Represent Parents at Adoption Hearings

Even though adoption hearings are simple in most cases, issues can arise in some adoption hearings, making the process complicated. So it’s advisable to hire a family lawyer who can effectively represent you in adoption hearings.

They learn all the details of your circumstances and can help you prove to the court that you can help provide a loving and caring home for adopted children. Additionally, they can defend you against any claims by third parties suggesting that you’re neglecting your adopted kids.

Get Legal Guidance Before Home Studies

It’s no secret that people wishing to adopt children must be ready for several home studies from social workers at private domestic adoption agencies or government foster care workers. In-home studies, these social workers will visit your house, have short interviews, and analyze your home and neighbourhood to determine if it’s suitable to raise children. Family lawyers can help you prepare for home studies and show the social workers that you’ll be responsible parents.

They have experience dealing with adoption cases and can help you answer questions correctly to increase your chances of getting your adoption application accepted. They can also guide you on how to make changes in your house to seem better candidates for adoption.

Get Started with the Family Lawyers at Nanda & Associate Lawyers

With the help of a family law lawyer, you can understand the requirements, navigate the procedure, and get legal advice and representation at adoption hearings, making the adoption process quicker and easier. Nanda & Associate Lawyers is one of the leading law firms in Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto, with a team of highly-experienced family lawyers. These family law lawyers have in-depth knowledge of the adoption process and can provide tailored solutions to complex issues.

Additionally, these family lawyers protect the rights of parents and their adopted children, ensuring that the best interests of all parties are prioritized. Besides providing family law services to people who want to adopt children, Nanda & Associate Lawyers also has professional immigration consultants. These immigration lawyers guide people who want to immigrate to Canada about various immigration pathways, their requirements, and the application process.

Book a consultation session with their family lawyers and make adoption more efficient.

About the Author

This piece was written by Linda Starova, a family lawyer affiliated with Nanda & Associate Lawyers. With her fluency in Italian, Spanish, French, and Albanian, she has represented clients from various cultural backgrounds in family law cases.

Disclaimer: This article is only intended for educational purposes and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for legal advice.