Adoption by Relatives

There are a range of possible orders that can be made, including adoption and special guardianship orders.

The need to find a permanent home for a child may arise from care proceedings or as a result of family breakdown, where the local authority may not be involved. We help our clients to weigh up what will be best for the individual child, taking into account factors such as:

• Future contact that the child will have with birth parents and siblings or
• Whether it is important for a child to retain their legal relationship with birth parents.

With our experience and expertise in International Adoption, we also advise and represent relatives offering a permanent home to a child living abroad, who might have been orphaned or abandoned or who has been gifted to them by family members in other countries. In these cases we work closely with specialist immigration lawyers in providing the full range of advice and representation that is needed what are often these most complex cases.

If you are the relative of a child whom you wish to adopt please contact either Naomi or Bridget for a confidential chat. After hearing the specifics of your case they will be able to provide you with further information and options available to you. They will also give you an indication of the process, what will be required of you and the possible time frames involved.

Naomi Angell is ranked as a leading individual in independent legal directoriesChambers & Partners and Legal 500. Chambers describes Naomi as  “the first person whom applicant adopters should go to”  and  as “hugely experienced, calm and a good listener.“

Written by Naomi Angell and Bridget Thompson