Adoption Law

Stepparent Adoption

Adopting a child is one of the most exhilarating moments you can ever experience. The wonderful feeling is magnified when you adopt a stepchild because the adoption is formalizing a relationship that already exists. By officially adopting your stepchild, you become the legal guardian of your spouse’s child thereby removing all logistical questions as to […]

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What about a lawyer for the birth mother?

One of the differences between hiring Shorstein & Kelly as a law firm and hiring an adoption agency is that Shorstein & Kelly only represents adoptive parents. Adoption agencies say that they represent everyone who participates in the adoption plan. As attorneys, it is not ethical for us to represent both the prospective adoptive parents […]

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Adoption Agency vs. Adoption Attorney – a birth mother perspective

When a birth mother first requests information about developing an adoption plan, she often asks about the differences between working with an adoption attorney or an adoption agency. After talking with hundreds of birth mothers who have experienced working with both an adoption attorney and an adoption agency, we have compiled a list of four […]

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Adult Adoptions: A Growing Trend in Florida

Earlier in 2012, when the media learned that a 40-year-old South Florida polo tycoon adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend as his daughter, the awareness of adult adoption skyrocketed.  It was reported that the tycoon used the adoption process to protect his fortune from the family of a man he killed in a DUI crash.  Once his […]

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What is a Board Certified Adoption Attorney in the state of Florida?

Adoption Experts! The certification of adoption attorneys allows the public to differentiate lawyers proficient in the area of adoption law from attorneys who do not understand the unique complexities of the adoption statute. Board Certified Adoption Attorneys in Florida are considered experts in the field of Florida adoption law.  Both Michael Shorstein and Brian Kelly, […]

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