Adopting a Baby in Florida
For some families, adopting a baby in Florida may feel like taking a leap of faith, hoping they select the right adoption professional who not only has the expertise required to legally finalize their adoption, but who also will provide that extra level of support and services during this exciting yet emotional time.
Bryan McLachlan is a Florida adoption attorney who can help you complete your newborn adoption from beginning to end by offering the following legal services:
- Opening of case and preparation of legal documents
- Legal termination of both birth parents’ parental right
- Approval of birth mother living expenses in accordance with Florida adoption law
- Adoptive family legal counsel throughout the adoption process and beyond
- Attendance at adoption finalization hearing
- Assistance with new birth certificate
Furthermore, by working with Bryan, you will not only have an expert in adoption law but also someone who will do everything possible to help your family have the most amazing, stress-free and safe adoption process. Here are few additional services Bryan offers that set him apart from other Florida adoption attorneys:
- Deal Directly with Bryan – Adoptive families should feel a sense of connection with whomever they hire as their adoption professional. Bryan’s clients deal directly with him at all times – not a case manager or a legal assistant.
“The very first conversation I have with them, I give them my cell phone number. My phone is connected to my hip, because I want you to use it. There is no such thing as a dumb question; call me, text me, email me, and we will have a continuing conversation in regards to what’s going on. Adoptions are my passion; I absolutely love what I do. So having conversations with the adoptive families, I enjoy that contact. I enjoy having that contact and discussion with regards to what is going on.”
- Stay Up to Date – Bryan continuously keeps his clients updated throughout the adoption process through phone calls, texts and emails, providing families with peace of mind that everything is still moving in the right direction.
“For example today, immediately after court was over, I texted those families with updates. If there is a time gap in any part of the process, people have a tendency to get a little nervous or worry, so if you can keep that connection, it makes the whole transaction very seamless, and keeps them informed, happy and stress-free, because this can be a stressful time.”
- Full-Service Adoption Services – Bryan partners with one of the country’s most successful national domestic adoption agencies, American Adoptions, to offer some additional important adoption services a family might need, including:
Matching Services – For families that need help finding a birth mother, American Adoptions has one of the widest birth mother outreach programs in the country, helping adoptive families minimize their wait times.
Birth Mother Screening – Whether a family has found a prospective birth mother or is still looking for one, it is essential that she is screened to ensure she is medically, mentally and emotionally prepared for adoption before taking next step.
24/7 Support – American Adoptions offers birth mothers support at any time of the day and during any day of the week. Even if you personally know the birth mother, she will still likely need a licensed third-party professional to help her during the inevitable tough times throughout this process.
Contact Mediation – Over 90 percent of modern day adoptions are considered “semi-open,” in which the adoptive family and birth mother share some contact during and after the adoption while maintaining identifying information such as last names, addresses and phone numbers. American Adoptions can mediate this contact, ranging from phone calls, email exchange, and pictures and letters, during and after the adoption is completed.
“American Adoptions and I have worked together on adoptions for several years now, and I can honestly say that it has been one of the best opportunities of my career. Because every adoption is unique, and because each family requires different services, American Adoptions does a fabulous job of providing individual services for families while I continue to ensure everything on the legal side of the adoption is done in perfect concert with Florida adoption law. It is a fruitful relationship that benefits everyone, especially our adoptive clients.”
The process of adopting a baby in Florida is full of decisions, but there is perhaps no greater decision than choosing the right adoption professional who will help you reach your adoption goals. Contact Bryan McLachlan at (727) 398-0086 today with no obligation to learn more about how you can adopt a baby in Florida.