Can You Change Your Mind About An Adoption?

Adopting a child is a serious undertaking. Just to begin the process usually requires a great deal of thought. Life, however, can mean unexpected events and situations will arise that could make adoption seem less desirable. Once the process gets started, the chances of stopping depend on where you are in that process. To find out more about what can happen when you want to put a stop to adoption plans, read on.

If the Adoption Is in Progress

As long as the final adoption order has not been handed down, the adoption agency handling your case can put a stop to it. This is known as an adoption disruption. Depending on how far the paperwork filing has progressed, there may be no reason to involve the courts if you want to disrupt an adoption. Since adopting a child is a big move, there is no requirement for parties disrupting an adoption to provide a reason for doing so. Often, the reasons for stopping an adoption are personal and can remain private if you wish. Both the adoption agency and the family court judges prefer that parties recognize a need to halt the proceedings if there are any issues whatsoever with the decision to adopt. Once a child is part of the picture, changing your mind becomes far more complicated and potentially damaging to the child.

Reasons to Stop an Adoption

Here are a few common situations that potential adoptive parents may experience that leads them to stop the process:

• The parents have decided to split up. While single parents are approved for adoptions all the time, not all parents desire to be in the position of a single parent.
• The parent lacks confidence in their ability to be a good parent. Having doubts about taking this big step is common, but it's best to be very sure before you make the adoption final.
• The parent's financial situation has altered and taking on a child is no longer affordable. Job losses and other emergency financial events can affect a parent's decision to adopt.
• The parent finds out about a matter that will affect their health and their ability to care for a child.
• The parent simply changes their mind.

If an Adoption Is Final

Once the order is signed and the parents have appeared in court, the family court judge may be reluctant to reverse the adoption. The parent would need to demonstrate a very good reason for an adoption to be reversed, and that certainly doesn't happen every day. Depending on the reason provided by the parent, some judges may seek to prop up the new family and avoid a reversal by ordering counseling. Only by showing that the best interests of the child are at stake if they remained with the adoptive parents is a reversal possible. 

To learn more, contact a law office like Law Office of Faye Riva Cohen, P.C.