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ADOPTION LAW

 SERVICES

  • Adoption Litigation

  • Matching Birth Parents with Adoptive Parents

  • Birth Parent Services

  • Assistance for Pregnant Women

  • Step Parent Adoptions, Grandparent Adoptions, and Relative Adoptions

  • Same-Sex Couple / Gay Adoptions, LGBT Individual Adoptions

  • Second Parent Adoptions

  • Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)

Adoption Litigation
Birth Parent Services

At the Law Office of Anthony B. Marchese, P.A., we do criminal defense work in addition to adoptions, and therefore have extensive trial experience and the necessary courtroom skills. This litigation experience is beneficial to clients whom we represent in litigating contested adoption disputes. Attorney Marchese is an advocate for children's rights, and works to preserve the integrity of adoptions. As a result, he has litigated cases to the Florida Supreme Court.

 

We represent clients in the adversarial world of criminal defense and contested family law matters, we have also been involved in litigating contested adoption disputes. Our firm is considered to be at the cutting edge on the new laws on adoption and we've had a number of cases on appeal that effect adoption legislation and interpret the present laws.  We've litigated contested adoption cases to the Florida and Alabama Supreme Courts.

 

A contested adoption is the most emotional and heart wrenching of any type of litigation. Our firm has represented both birth parents, as well as, prospective adoptive parents in a contested adoptions which determine the destiny of children. These types of cases demand private personal attention to the clients and a high level of integrity and competence which we possess.

Matching Birth Mothers With Loving Adoptive Parents for Over 35 Years

Stepparent Adoptions, Grandparent, and Relative Adoptions

At the law office of Anthony B. Marchese, P.A., we have over 35 years of experience matching pregnant mothers with loving couples that are excited to adopt a baby, identified adoptions, and interstate adoptions. We are committed to understanding the unique needs of each client, and we work with and resolving the matter in your best interest.

 

Anthony B. Marchese is a Board Certified Adoption Attorney by the Florida Bar, which is the highest level of evaluation by the Supreme Court of Florida. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, and a member of the Florida Adoption Council.

 

Over 1,500 Adoption Placements

 

In the infant adoption or child adoption process, Attorney Marchese serve as the adoption intermediary, facilitating positive conversations between the biological mother and the adopting parents. To date, he has matched over 1,500 adoption placements and oversaw each to its conclusion. At the Law Office of Anthony B. Marchese, P.A., we are compassionate about the needs and concerns of clients, and dedicated to helping them through the process efficiently so they can begin building their lives as families.

 

 

In addition to traditional adoptions, we represent clients in Single Parent Adoptions, Step Parent Adoptions, Grandparent Adoptions and Relative Adoptions.

 

Stepparent adoptions provide an opportunity for a stepparent to adopt his or her stepchild when the other birth parent is not involved. The adoption not only enables the Stepparent to play a more active parenting role by creating a legal relationship, it can also bring the family together as a unit. Grandparent and Relative adoptions enable family members — who often are already caring for and raising a child — to obtain legal rights and obligations often necessary to raise the child when the biological parents are not in the picture.

Second Parent Adoptions

A second parent adoption is the adoption of a child by a second parent in the home who is not married to the legal parent of the child. A second parent adoption allows a second parent to adopt a child without the biological (or adoptive if the child was adopted) losing any parental rights or responsibilities. This form of adoption is used when one parent has adopted the child previously or is the natural parent of that child. It is similar to a step-parent adoption with married couples, where a legal parent will allow his or her spouse to adopt the child without terminating the rights of the original parent. However, you are still have to get a home study (just like in a single adoption). The end result is the same: both partners will be the legal parents of their child.

 

For some families, a second parent adoption is often a good solution for couples in cases involving surrogacy and egg donation.

Assistance for Pregnant Women

Expecting Mothers Who Are Considering Adoption

 

Adoption services are provided free of charge to birth mothers, and our firm can help guide you throughout the entire adoption process. We understand the uncertainty expecting mothers may face when considering adoption. Our staff will work to make the process as straightforward and painless as possible — giving you peace of mind about your decision.

 

While many birth parents work with adoption agencies, there are many benefits to working with an adoption lawyer throughout the process. With an attorney, you can receive legal advice and honest answers to any questions throughout the adoption. You can have confidence that your adoption agreement is legally sound. However, you also receive individual attention and guidance. The benefits of using our firm's birth parent services include:

 

  • Selecting and meeting the prospective adoptive parents

  • Personal attention

  • Privacy and confidentiality

  • Private counseling

  • Help with living expenses and medical care

  • Photos and updates

 

If you wish to learn more about the benefits of private adoption and the process of selecting a prospective adoptive family, we would be happy to help you explore your options with confidentiality.

 

 

Assistance for Pregnant Women

 

At the Law Office of Anthony B. Marchese, P.A. Link to Attorney, we help adoptive parents work out an agreement to provide financial assistance and counseling services to the pregnant woman whose child they will adopt. I have a list of parents who are looking to adopt, and when birth mothers or birth parents Link to birth parent services contact me, I work to find a good match. Often, the adoptive parents are willing to offer money to the birth parents to help them through the pregnancy.

 

Place Your Baby With a Loving Couple Longing to Adopt. For more than 35 years, we have helped hundreds of birth mothers create personalized adoption plans based solely on what is important to them when choosing an adoptive family. Whether it’s a closed adoption or open adoption, the law office of Anthony B. Marchese, P.A., is dedicated to supporting women who are considering placing their baby for adoption.

Same -Sex Adoptions

        Gay Adoptions

The child you want to adopt needs a loving and financially secure home — you can provide it to him or her. For many, LGBT adoption is still a new concept, and society’s image of a “perfect” family includes a mother and a father of opposite sexes. As a same-sex couple or LBGT Individual, you may be under scrutiny for your decision to adopt a child.

 

At our firm, we understand the additional obstacles that LGBT couples and individuals face, and remain dedicated and vigilant in our goal of helping you start your family through adoption.

 

LBGT Individual Adoptions

 

A gay person can now adopt a child in the State of Florida.

 

Same-Sex Adoptions / Gay Adoptions

 

Married same-sex couples can now adopt children jointly under Florida law, rather than having one partner adopt the child and the other partner go through a second-parent adoption.

 

We can help both you and your partner to be the legal parents of a child.

Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)

Interstate adoptions are governed by the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). The ICPC is the law in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

To legally place a child with residents of another State, both the laws of the sending and receiving states must be complied with. Prospective Adoptive Parent(s) cannot leave the child’s home State with the child unless approval from both the “sending” and the “receiving” states has been granted from ICPC.

 

Our firm works closely with Adoptive families to comply with the ICPC application process to obtain their approval for a proposed placement.  

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