There’s nothing simple about adoption. It’s a complicated legal process, a tangled web of statutes and contracts with many potential pitfalls and short circuits. Hiring Julie Beth Jouben, P.A. as your adoption attorney is the best way of clearing the road in front of you. Whether you’re hoping to expand your Dunedin family by adopting a child, establishing a legal parent-child relationship for a stepparent, or something else altogether, call our office. As your advocate, Ms. Jouben is a guiding light on what can sometimes be a long and frustratingly dark road.
Title VI, Chapter 63 of the Florida Statutes defines adoption as “the act of creating the legal relationship between parent and child where it did not exist.” Because the keyword in that definition is “legal,” an adoption lawyer makes sure the rights of the child — as well as the prospective parents — are dutifully covered, from all angles, when the biological parents sign the documents consenting to the adoption. You don’t want to take your new baby home only to discover, months later, that you missed some statutory requirement that could jeopardize the process. Adoption is forever; therefore, your Dunedin legal representative covers every base.
From the Global Village to Dunedin
An adoption attorney is equally important — if not more so — in matters of agency adoptions from foreign countries. To bring a child halfway around the world to Dunedin, the mountain of paperwork is staggering. As the adoptive parents, you have just one thing on your minds — getting your baby home and settling into your new life. Filling out endless contracts, visa forms and dealing with constant demands for revision can be mind-numbing. Let Julie Beth Jouben, P.A. work alongside you and make your sailing smooth.
The Many Jobs of An Adoption Attorney
Sometimes grandparents, or other close relatives, seek legal adoption when the birth parent is deemed legally unfit. Your adoption attorney makes sure the consents are airtight and binding. Those over age 18 can be legally adopted by another adult, provided both parties consent to the procedure. For the most part, this form of adoption is done to formalize a relationship that has existed in fact for years, to address matters of inheritance or for permanent caregiving.
Whether you’re seeking to expand your Dunedin family, legally adopt a stepchild or simply need advice and direction, an adoption attorney makes all the difference. Because she handles both family law and immigration law, Julie Beth Jouben is your best advocate. Your legal family may be short-term, in the long run; however, by allowing Ms. Jouben to sit at the head of the table, you can be assured that nothing is left to chance, and there will be no errors.
Have adoption question? Contact Julie Beth Jouben, P.A. today or call today at our office.