Family law firms that specialize in adoption law often help clients navigate the process from start to finish. Regulations, expenses, and the protocol for welcoming a child into your family vary from one state to another. If you’re a resident in Arizona looking to adopt or transition from a guardianship into legal parenthood, here’s a helpful guide. 

Understanding Arizona Adoption Law

Who Is Eligible to Adopt in Arizona?

In the state of Arizona, any adult who is a resident is eligible to adopt as long as they can meet the emotional and physical needs of a child. You’ll prove you meet these requirements through a home study process that includes providing a court representative with financial records, agreeing to a criminal background check, and a series of home visits. Single individuals as well as married couples can adopt. 

What Fees Are Adoptive Families Responsible for?

When the adoption process begins before a child is born, the adoptive parent or parents may be financially responsible for a portion of the birth mother’s expenses, including medical care, hospital expenses, legal and agency fees, and living expenses during pregnancy. Your adoption lawyer can work with you to better understand these financial obligations, and they can petition the court should any fees seem unreasonable. 

Who Needs to Consent to the Adoption?

Birth parents must consent in writing to an adoption. This consent can be given as soon as 72 hours after the birth of a child. Written consent must be given in the presence of two witnesses over the age of 18 years old. Both the birth mother and birth father must consent if they were married at the time of conception or if the father has established paternity. 

If you need the help of a family law firm that specializes in adoption law, call the Law Offices of Lenkowsky & Fontenot in Bullhead City, AZ, today at (928) 758-4815 to schedule an appointment. They specialize in family, real estate, and commercial and civil litigation. For more information on this full-service legal team, visit their website.