Illinois Adoptions/Guardianship

When a child loses one or both parents, conversations regarding adoption and guardianship inevitably arise. Similarly, when there are issues of incapacitation, incarceration, abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, abandonment and endangerment, these issues also come to the forefront.

Adoption is the legal process for obtaining full parental rights and responsibilities for a child, as if the child was born to you naturally. Adoptive parents can give full consent, as birth parents would, on any matter regarding the child. Typically, the birth parents terminate all rights when a child is adopted.

Guardianship is the appointment of a legal guardian for a child. It grants the right of consent for most matters, including marriage, education, military enlistment, medical procedures and more. The difference between adoption and guardianship is that guardianship ends when the child turns 18, gets married or is legally emancipated. Also, guardianship may be challenged by the birth parents in court and it may be invalidated if the child is moved out of state as a minor.

Respected, Reliable and Compassionate.

Adoption and guardianship issues can be very complex, especially when the birth parents are still alive or when other relatives would also like custody of the child. Similarly, when one parent remarries and the new spouse would like to adopt the child, matters can become intense between the ex-spouses. Colleen Thomas of Thomas Law Office is well versed in these types of cases and will fight for your rights. Although this can be a stressful time, let Ms. Thomas handle the stress for you.

If you are working with another party on an agreed adoption, Ms. Thomas can also execute this process in a cost-effective way. Call Thomas Law Office at 847-426-7990 to discuss your case. You can also send an email to schedule a consultation. Our Carpentersville office is conveniently close to McHenry County and Kane County cities, including Elgin, South Elgin, Carpentersville, Marengo, West Dundee, East Dundee, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Crystal Lake, Woodstock and Cary.