In some cases, a child’s biological parents are not actively available to be a child’s parents and unfit to provide care. However, in these situations, the child’s grandparents and other family members can adopt the child.
Kinship adoption enables family members to obtain full legal parental rights. Florida law has established simplified and expedited procedures when adoption involves relatives.
The following is an overview of the grandparent adoptions in Florida.
How Much Does Grandparent Adoption Cost?
Kindship adoption is less costly. Although you may have to pay for attorney fees, you may be eligible for the adoption tax credit, which reduces your income tax by the amount of your adoption costs. If the biological parents consent to kinship adoption, the costs will be even lower.
Does the Biological Parent Have to Consent to Kinship Adoption?
Not quite. If a parent doesn’t agree or refuses to sign a consent, Florida law allows courts to terminate parental rights despite not having a biological parents’ consent when they physically and emotionally abandoned the child. Grandparents and other relatives can even file for adoption without waiting until the biological parents’ rights are first terminated. Nevertheless, the adoption process is easier when the biological parent provides consent.
Do Grandparent Adoptions Require Home Study?
In Florida, grandparents and other relatives do not have to fulfill the home study requirement as most regular adoptions. The exception is one of the main reasons why kinship adoption is a faster and easier process.
How Long Does the Adoption Process Take?
If the biological parents provide consent, relative adoption only takes one to two months. Scheduling a court hearing takes up most of the time. Again, relatives do not need to terminate the biological parent’s rights before filing for adoption. Both termination and adoption can occur in the same court hearing.
What is the Age Requirement to Adopt?
Nobody is too old to adopt. The truth is that grandparent adoptions are considered one of the most common forms of adoption.
For more information about grandparent adoption in Florida, contact our Jacksonville family law attorneys at Owenby Law, P.A. today and schedule a free initial consultation.