Nashville Adoption Lawyers

If you are interested in adoption, The Law Office of Martin Sir & Associates is here to help you navigate the process and achieve your goals. Adding to your family through adoption can be a joyful and beautiful experience, as well as a great benefit to the child.

What are the Requirements For Adoption in Tennessee?

Tennessee permits the following individuals to adopt:

• Legal residents of Tennessee
• Adults 21 years or older, or adults 18 years or older seeking to adopt a relative
• Single adults, including divorced individuals
• Married couples
• Homeowners or renters

In Tennessee, any adult 21 years or older is legally permitted to adopt (children 14 years or older must consent to the adoption). To adopt, you will need to undergo a home study conducted by a licensed agency. The primary focus of Tennessee law when it comes to foster care and adoption is the well-being of the child.

For this reason, the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) will take into consideration a variety of factors when determining whether an individual or family is fit to adopt. These considerations include the adoptive parent’s financial stability, physical health, and ability to provide a supportive and safe environment for the child.

In cases where a birth parent is planning to relinquish parental rights to an adoptive parent, the birth mother will remain the legal parent for three days after the child’s birth. After the birth mother signs a surrender, she will have 10 days to revoke the surrender and decide, instead, to remain the child’s legal parent.

If disputes or complications arise regarding the legal rights of birth parents or the child’s former legal guardians, our Nashville adoption attorneys can represent your best interests and the best interests of the child. We can also help oversee agreements, such as the amount of contact the child will be permitted to have with their birth parent.