The legal rights of unmarried couples living together
Living together without getting married is a common choice for many couples. However, it’s essential to understand the legal differences
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Decisions about adoption are rarely straightforward. They often involve strong emotions, difficult family circumstances and a deep concern for a child’s future. In every case, the child’s welfare must come first. Our adoption and special guardianship solicitors focus on what is genuinely in the child’s best interests, while also supporting the adults involved with sensitivity and clarity.
Adoption law can feel daunting, particularly when you are already dealing with family change or uncertainty. We will explain the process clearly and guide you through each step, making sure you understand what to expect and why decisions are made. Our role is to reduce stress wherever possible and help you feel informed and supported throughout.
Many adoptions involve relatives or step-parents who are already caring for a child. These situations can raise complex legal and emotional issues, including consent from other parents and involvement from the local authority. We will help you navigate these challenges carefully, with respect for everyone involved.
Adoption is not always the right solution. Where appropriate, we can advise on alternatives such as step-parent parental responsibility agreements or Special Guardianship Orders. These options can provide security and legal authority for a child’s carer, without permanently removing another parent’s legal status.
View our fixed-fee family law consultation page ,we offer compassionate, expert guidance from an experienced solicitor, focused on you and your next steps.
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The issues our adoption law specialists can help you with include:
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Adoption is the legal process through which parental responsibility for a child is transferred to an adoptive parent. The adoptive parents take on all parental rights and responsibilities for the child, such as where they live, the schools they attend and medical matters. When a child is adopted, the biological parents give up their parental responsibility for the child.
There are two routes to adopting a child within the UK:
The first step in the adoption process is to contact the adoption agency and provide them with any information they require. Next, the agency will arrange to meet you to assess your suitability. If you are successful at this stage, and want to move forward, the agency will send you an application form.
You may be eligible to adopt a child if you:
• Are over the age of 21
• Have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for at least 12 months
• Meet the local authority’s selection criteria.
You need to prove that you can meet the needs of the child. There’s no universal set of adoption requirements, but there are steps prospective adoptive parents can take to demonstrate your suitability.
From initial enquiry to adoption order, the process generally takes between 6 and 12 months, although timescales vary depending on individual circumstances and the availability of suitable matches.
Court proceedings for the adoption order itself can take several months after the child has been placed with you.
In most cases, the birth parents’ consent is required. However, the court can dispense with consent if:
The parent cannot be found or is incapable of giving consent; or
The child’s welfare requires the adoption to proceed without consent.
The child’s welfare is always the court’s paramount consideration.
An adoption order is made by the Family Court and permanently transfers parental responsibility to the adoptive parents. Once granted:
The legal relationship between the child and their birth parents ends
The child becomes a full legal member of the adoptive family
A new birth certificate is issued
Adoption orders are final and cannot usually be reversed.
Yes. Step-parent adoption is possible where a step-parent wishes to obtain parental responsibility and formalise their relationship with a child.
The court will consider:
The child’s welfare
The views of both birth parents
Whether adoption is proportionate, or whether alternatives (such as a parental responsibility agreement or child arrangements order) may be more appropriate
Legal advice is important before proceeding, as adoption permanently ends the other birth parent’s legal rights.
Fostering for adoption (also known as early permanence) allows prospective adopters to foster a child who may later be adopted by them, if the court approves the adoption plan.
This can reduce uncertainty for the child and limit the number of moves they experience.
At Tees, our experienced adoption solicitor can:
Advise birth parents, adoptive parents and extended family members
Represent you in court proceedings
Explain your rights and responsibilities
Help you understand alternatives to adoption
Support you through complex or contested cases
Adoption proceedings can be emotionally challenging. Clear legal advice helps you understand your position and protects the child’s best interests.
