Family Law Specialists Discuss Adoption in Sydney

Wanting to adopt a child is a very noble and respected cause. But unfortunately, adopting a child is never as straightforward as you might like. In many cases, these children have already been through a lot, and the laws surrounding adoption are put in place to ensure these children are protected. Once a child has been adopted, they will become a legal member of your family and should be treated as such. 

The laws surrounding adoption are slightly different in Western Australia than they are in New South Wales, and because we are family law specialists in Sydney, we’ll be discussing adoption in NSW.

Open Adoption

The type of adoption that occurs today in NSW is ‘open adoption. This means that even though the child is no longer a part of the birth parents’ family, they are still encouraged to maintain a relationship with their biological parents, and openness and honesty is encouraged. The child’s original name and culture are asked to be preserved as much as possible.

Who is Eligible to Adopt?

A child can be adopted by either a single person or a couple. The definition of a couple, in this case, would be two people (of the same sex or of different sexes) that are married to each other or are de facto partners.

In order for applicants to be eligible, they must be:

• A resident of NSW or domiciled in NSW
• Able to fulfil the roles and responsibilities associated with parenting
• 21 years old or over
• At least 18 years older than the child that the adoption request has been put in for.

Just because you are an eligible candidate does not mean that you will be accepted. 

Different Types of Adoption

In New South Wales, there are a few different types of adoption options that may be applicable to you, including:

• Intrafamily adoption
• Intercountry adoption
• Special needs adoption
• Out-of-home care adoption
• Out-of-home care dual authorisation
• Local adoption

Are you looking for family law specialists in Sydney to assist you with your adoption NSW or any other family law related issue? Get in touch with the specialists at Lapointe Family Law!