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Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq. > Practice Areas > Adoption > Co-Parent Adoption

Monmouth County Co-Parent Adoption Lawyers

If you are seeking a co-parent adoption, Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq. can help. If you are raising a child that you are not biologically related to, it is essential that you establish the same legal parental rights as the biological parent. These situations are typical for same-sex parents and parents who used alternative reproduction options to seek co-parent adoptions. Your child deserves the security of having two legally recognized parents, even if they are only biologically related to one.

The Monmouth County co-parent adoption attorneys from the Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq. are sympathetic to your cause and are ready to help you adopt your child. For more information on how to adopt your child as a co-parent, contact us at (732) 898-2378 to schedule an appointment with an adoption lawyer who serves Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties.

Do I Need to Hire a Co-parent Adoption Lawyer?

Legally adopting a child is a rigorous and stressful task. With a seemingly endless amount of paperwork and different types of adoption available, mistakes are too easy to make for those who have no experience with the adoption process. The future of your entire family depends on this critical process happening correctly.

Hiring a lawyer who has helped numerous couples and their children become complete families is a wise decision to ensure the protection of your family’s best interests during this life-changing experience. The risk is too substantial not to hire an experienced adoption attorney to make sure that your co-parent adoption goes as smoothly as possible.

Why Hire the Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq.

New Jersey parents have trusted the legal team at the Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq. to guide them through their adoption process since 2008. With our proven experience with co-parent adoption cases, we are ready to help you and your child officially become family. We will work persistently every step of the way to ensure the protection of you and your child’s rights. Andrew Bestafka grew up in New Jersey, so everyone he works with is not only his client, but his neighbor. He will give you and your case the attention and compassion you need to ensure your co-adoption process is completed accurately and efficiently.

What is Co-parent Adoption?

Co-parent adoption, also known as second-parent adoption, is available for parents not listed on their child’s birth certificate. This type of adoption is typical in procreation involving the use of a surrogate or a donor. Same-sex couples where only one spouse is biologically related to the child commonly seek co-parent adoption to protect their legal rights.

The second parent adopting the child will have equal parental rights as the first or biological parent in matters such as discipline, medical decisions, and financial support. Co-parent adoption provides security for both you and your child’s legal benefits. Should you and your spouse ever divorce, you will be able to assert custody or visitation rights as a co-parent.

New Jersey is one of the first of 15 progressive states to offer this type of adoption. In the rest of the country, a non-biological parent can only petition for step-parent adoption rights. However, once you have successfully co-adopted your child, your legal parental rights will be valid throughout all fifty states.

What If My Child Already Has Two Parents?

When it comes to parental rights, a child can legally only have two parents in New Jersey. Before you can step in and become a co-parent to your child, any other person besides the person you wish to co-parent with cannot retain any parental rights. Adoption matters become complicated when there are surrogate mothers or step-parents with parental rights.

Anonymous sperm donors do not maintain any parental rights to your child, but surrogate mothers do. Under New Jersey law, contracts assigning parental rights to unborn children are not binding. Despite a lack of a genetic relationship, surrogate mothers can still have parental rights because they carried the child. Termination of the surrogate mother’s rights will need to happen before a co-parent adoption can occur.

Terminating parental rights is no easy task to complete without the help of an experienced lawyer. At the Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq., we can help you determine the best course of action to accomplish this task and move forward with your co-parent adoption.

Contact Us

If you are considering co-parent adoption, you should discuss your options with a New Jersey lawyer at the Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq. to make an informed decision. Families in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties have trusted us since 2008 to help navigate them through their adoption journeys. Let us help yours too. Contact the Monmouth County adoption lawyers at the Law Office of Andrew A. Bestafka, Esq. to schedule an appointment with an accountable co-parent adoption lawyer today. Call us at (732) 898-2378, chat with us on our website, or fill out our email form.