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Adoption

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Understanding your rights and options

Adoption is a life-changing decision - for children, parents, and families. Whether you are facing adoption after care proceedings or exploring adoption as a step-parent, we are here to guide you with clarity, care, and expert legal advice.

Adoption after a care order

If the court has made a care order for your child, they may be placed with a family member or in foster care. In some cases, the court may decide that adoption is in the child’s best interests. This involves a placement order, which allows the Local Authority to place your child with potential adopters.

 

If adoption is being considered, it’s important to know:

  • Legal aid may be available to help you challenge the adoption - even if your child has already been removed from your care.
  • Adoption removes all legal rights from biological parents, so it’s vital to get legal advice early.
  • While contact with birth parents usually ends after adoption, courts are increasingly recognising that ongoing contact may benefit the child. We can help ensure this is properly considered.

Adoption is always a last resort. If there are other safe and suitable options, such as placing your child with extended family or friends, the court may consider alternatives like Special Guardianship.

 

If your circumstances have changed since the care order was made, and you are now able to care for your child, we can help you present that to the court.

 

 

 

Adoption by a step-parent

If you are a step-parent and want to adopt your partner’s child, this may be possible. However, there may be other legal options that better suit your family’s needs. We will help you understand what’s right for your situation and guide you through the process.

 

 

What is Special Guardianship?

A Special Guardianship Order gives parental responsibility to someone who isn’t the child’s parent - such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or close family friend.

  • The child lives with the Special Guardian, who can make important decisions about their care.
  • The child’s parents usually retain parental responsibility, but the Special Guardian’s decisions can override theirs in some situations.

We can advise you on whether Special Guardianship is the right option for your family.

Rebecca Marshall - 8th Nov 2018 - Colour - LR - 056 copy

For legal advice on adoption

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Isobel represented me through a complex two-year family law case. From the start, her legal expertise and focus on my children’s welfare were clear. As proceedings grew complicated, she remained calm, strategic, and remarkably efficient. Isobel offered honest, fair advice and built a true partnership based on trust. After an exceptionally long and difficult process, we achieved everything we set out to accomplish. I am enormously grateful for her resilience and guidance, and recommend her without hesitation.

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We used Porter Dodson in Bridport for a Declaration of Trust. Karen Watts was both kind and professional throughout. She explained everything to us very clearly, and having her to guide us through the process made it straightforward and reassuring. All the team are so courteous and helpful, we will always use and recommend them. Sincere thanks again.

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Isobel Massey goes the extra mile for her clients and is extremely well prepared. She is very helpful for counsel and writes detailed and clear instructions, while also keeping counsel in the loop regarding bundles.

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Isobel had an amazing ability to ignore all the peripheral noise to home in on detail that was important to the children and their needs. At the same time she managed to make the seemingly impossible conversations easy and comfortable. She finds the silver linings in the darkest of moments. I am eternally grateful.

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