Adoption Lawyers in Salem, MA

Growing Your Family Throughout the North Shore & Greater Boston Area

Adoption is one of the most rewarding legal processes a family can go through, and one of the most heavily regulated. Massachusetts law sets specific requirements for who can adopt, how consent works, and what steps must be completed before a court will finalize an adoption. 

Our Salem adoption attorneys at Koiles Pratt Family Law Group guide you through each stage of that process, from initial eligibility through final court approval, so you can focus on what matters most: welcoming a child into your home.

Consult a Salem adoption lawyer about your case by contacting us online or at (978) 744-7774. We offer virtual consultations for your convenience, as well as office locations in both Salem and Boston. 

Our Adoption Representation for Clients in Massachusetts

Whether you're a stepparent looking to formally adopt your spouse's child, a grandparent stepping in to raise a grandchild, or a family pursuing an agency or international adoption, our attorneys help you understand which type of adoption applies to your situation and what Massachusetts law requires at each step. 

We help you prepare the necessary documentation, navigate home studies and background checks, address parental consent and termination of parental rights, and represent you at the final adoption hearing.

For families adopting a spouse's or relative's child, in particular, we can help streamline a process that often offers more flexibility than other adoption types.

Types of Adoption We Handle

Massachusetts recognizes several types of adoption, each with its own process and requirements. We handle the following. 

• Agency adoption: Adoptions arranged through a licensed adoption agency, which matches prospective parents with a child and manages much of the placement process.
• Relative adoption: Adoption by a family member, such as a grandparent, aunt, or uncle, often when a child's biological parents are unable to care for them.
• Stepparent adoption: Adoption of a spouse's child, legally formalizing a parent-child relationship that may already exist in practice.
• Foster care adoption: Adoption of a child in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), typically after a period of fostering.
• International adoption: Adoption of a child from another country, which involves both Massachusetts law and federal and foreign legal requirements.
• Open adoption: An arrangement that allows for ongoing contact between the adoptive family, the child, and birth parents, when all parties agree to that relationship.

Who Can Adopt in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts law focuses less on who can adopt and more on whose consent is required and what conditions must be met before an adoption can be finalized. 

Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 210, courts require written consent from the child being adopted if they're over age 12, and from the child's living parents (or previous adoptive parents), unless the court dispenses with that requirement under specific circumstances.

For a child under 14, an adoption can only be finalized if at least one of the following applies: 

• The child was placed with the adoptive parents by the Department of Children and Families or an authorized agency
• The petitioner is a blood relative of the child
• The petitioner is the child's step-parent
• The petitioner was named as guardian or adoptive parent in a deceased parent's will
• The adoption petition was otherwise approved in writing by DCF or an authorized agency

When Consent Isn't Required

In certain situations, Massachusetts courts can proceed with an adoption even without the consent normally required. Under Chapter 210, Section 3, this can happen if:

• The person being adopted is already 18 or older, or
• The court finds that proceeding without a particular person's consent serves the best interests of the child

Discuss Your Case with a Salem Adoption Lawyer

Adoption changes a family forever, and it deserves attorneys who understand both the legal requirements and what this process means to you. Our attorneys are here to guide you through every requirement imposed by Massachusetts law, providing legal and human support in this critical matter. 

Reach us online or at (978) 744-7774 to schedule a consultation about adoption today.