Adoption

“There are no unwanted children, just unfound families”

At Cummins & Fitts, we believe every child deserves a loving family to call their own. Choosing to adopt a child is a life-changing decision as well as a multifaceted and emotional process. The attorneys at Cummins & Fitts are dedicated to helping our clients navigate the often-complicated process ensuring that it go as smoothly as possible for birth parents and adoptive parents.

At the law firm of Cummins & Fitts, we work to facilitate: agency adoptions, intrafamily adoption, private adoptions, same sex adoptions, and the recognition of international adoptions. We have working relationships with social workers and therapists who are licensed to complete home studies and provide mental health counseling to both adoptive parents and birth parents. Each family’s adoption journey is different but our priority is to ensure that each adoption process is legally secure, emotionally respected, and handled professionally. We recognize that adoption is a lifelong commitment, so we make a commitment to guide our clients through the process efficiently and compassionately.

Types of Adoptions in Louisiana
Louisiana recognizes four types of adoptions – The circumstances surrounding your adoption will determine which type of adoption is the best fit for you and your family.

Agency Adoption
This is a form of adoption which involves the placement of a minor child with assigned adoptive parents through the use of either a public or a private agency in Louisiana. Agency adoptions are commonly utilized for the adoption of children who have been placed in foster care. An “agency” includes the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the corresponding department of another state, and certain private agencies and institutions licensed to place children for adoption by DCFS or the corresponding department of another state.

Intrafamily Adoption
Intrafamily adoption is most commonly referred to as the “stepparent adoption” but in fact, it extends far past just step parents. This may be an option if you are a stepparent, grandparent or another relative of the child’s legal parent by blood, marriage or adoption.

Private Adoption
This form of adoption occurs when birth parents and prospective adoptive parents find each other without the involvement of an agency when birth parents. Private adoptions are often more complex; therefore adoptive parents tend to invest a substantial amount of time, money, and emotional energy into the process. In this type of adoption, the adoptive and biological parents have the option to negotiate different terms associated with the adoption. The adoptive parents can choose to pay certain expenses for the surrendering parents including: living expenses, medical expenses, transportation expenses, legal expenses, and counseling expenses.

Recognition of Foreign Adoption:
An international adoption is accomplished when an adoptive parent assumes the legal responsibility of a minor child who is a citizen of a foreign country. In order for this process to be successful, the adoptive parent must abide by the rules and regulations of Louisiana as well as the child’s home country. After the child has been legally adopted in her/her foreign country, that adoption may be recognized by the state of Louisiana if all the further requirements are met.