Arbor Offers Affordable Adoption Legal Services for Northern Virginia Families
Virginia Adoption Attorney Services

Virginia has many available routes for growing your family through adoption. Arbor provides adoption attorney assistance for clients from the beginning of the process, for those who have just started investigating options, to
Adoption is a beautiful way to grow a family in Northern Virginia.
those who have located a child and who may only need a lawyer’s assistance with final paperwork. If you are considering adoption, but have questions about the various methods and required processes, please contact Arbor for an overview of Virginia adoption laws, statutory procedures, and information on available options for your family.

Adoptions are classified in many ways (i.e., open adoptions, closed adoptions, agency adoptions, etc...), but the titles describe various forms of two primary adoption means: agency placement or parental placement. Even international adoptions and step-parent adoptions technically fall into these two categories. Regardless of description, every type of adoption must follow a set of procedures set out in Virginia’s statutes and must observe all federal and international laws governing the placement of children. Domestically, the majority of adoptions come through parental placement, with a substantial portion also working through agencies, while international adoptions are almost solely conducted through an agency. If you select an agency to assist in your path to parenthood, please ensure that the agency is fully licensed to operate in Virginia, or that the agency is partnered with a Virginia agency. Virginia’s policies for agency licensing ensure the protection of adoptive children, and protect the rights of both the birth parents and adoptive parents. Please be sure to thoroughly investigate any agency found online, as sometimes the agencies are not reputable, and can actually hinder your chances of a successful adoption. While the internet can be a wonderful source of information on adoption and agencies for parents, it can also lead to abuse by agencies that do not conform to Virginia’s standards of protection. A list of authorized agencies in Virginia is provided on the Department of Social Services website.

Arbor can combine adoption and estate planning services for new families.
Arbor's mobile, flexible services are ideal for adoptive families, as clients can meet with an adoption lawyer in-home, or in any other familiar environment, to prepare and execute the petitions, affidavits, and other paperwork required to complete an adoption. It is often difficult for families to arrange for childcare to meet with an attorney or to take more time from work to meet during office hours, and adoptive families face the additional burden of reluctance to leave their child with a care-giver during the first few months in the home. Petitions for Adoption must be filed within certain timelines in Virginia, and Arbor can assist clients with smaller children who may prefer their home or another familiar environment to a sterile, professional office environment. Arbor's legal services include in-home notary services for all affidavits and Petitions for Adoption, at no additional charge.

Official information regarding adoption in the Commonwealth of Virginia can be found on the Department of Social Services website.
Additionally, the National Institutes of Health has a very nice overview of aspects of adoption on their website, and the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services provides information on its Child Welfare Information Gateway.