Adoption Solicitors | Children's Law | Howells Solicitors
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Adoption Solicitors

Adoption Solicitors based in Sheffield, Barnsley & Rotherham 

Adopting a Child

Adoption can be a wonderful thing, completing your family by giving a child the love and stability of a ‘forever home’. However, some people can find going through the adoption process (which can be subject to a lot of red tape) a highly stressful experience. 

 

Our adoption solicitors are here to help you on your journey, providing you with support and guidance along the way.

Adoption Solicitors based in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham 

 

How Our Adoption Solicitors Can Help

There are several types of adoption which are all complex, but we’re here to help. Our Children Law team are here to simplify the process and give clients a clear understanding of both the formalities and responsibilities. It’s our job to make everything clear, to guide you through and to make you feel as comfortable as possible with the whole process.

Our children law specialists can act for anyone seeking to adopt a child – step parents, couples or singles, married or unmarried, and same sex couples – and we can advise on all types of adoption arrangements, including:

  • Adoption by step parent, relatives, foster parent(s) or from care
  • International adoption – where the child is being brought from outside of England and Wales, and immigration laws also apply
  • Special Guardianship Orders

Are you Eligible for Legal Aid?

Legal aid is available in a wide variety of circumstances for family members when social care are involved with children.

On your initial contact, we can assess your circumstances and advise you as to your eligibility for legal aid. Our Children Law solicitors can help give advice, explain the Public Law Outline Process (PLO), offer confidential legal advice, and they can represent you in Care Proceedings at Court. We can also support you if you receive a letter before proceedings to help explain concerns social services may have and attend at the PLO Meeting with you.

Contact us or call us on 0114 2496693 to book your appointment today and we will be happy to assess you and advise you as to your eligibility of legal aid.

How Does Adoption Work?

The main piece of legislation governing the law of adoption is the Adoption and Children Act 2002, which should be considered with reference to the Children Act 1989

 After the court makes an Adoption Order, an adopted child is treated in law as if they are the legitimate child of the adopters. The effect of adoption is intended to be life-long. 

What is the Process of Adoption?

The first step to becoming an approved adopter is to complete a Registration of Interest form. You will also need to undertake training, and undergo background checks to ensure you are suitable. 

After this, you will usually have a few meetings with a social worker, who will then produce a Prospective Adopters Report (PAR). The PAR will be presented to the local Adoption Panel, who will make the final decision on whether you are eligible to adopt. 

Contact us or call us on 0114 2496693 to book your appointment today.

Adoption Solicitors FAQs

 

Do You Need a Solicitor for Adoption?

If the adoption process has started, you should get legal advice from a solicitor. To make an adoption legal, a court has to grant a court order.

How Long Does it Take to Adopt a Child in the UK?

The adoption approval process usually takes around 6 months.

Can Anyone Adopt in the UK?

You do not have to be a British citizen to adopt a child. However, you must have a fixed and permanent home in the UK, Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.

 

 

How can we help? Contact us today

Contact us on 0114 2496693 and one of our advisors will be in touch to discuss your situation. We will take some initial information and if we can help, we will book you in for a consultation with a legal professional.

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Legal Aid Funding

Legal aid is available in a wide variety of circumstances for family members when social care are involved with children. Contact us or call us on 0114 2496693 to book your appointment today and we will be happy to assess you and advise you as to your eligibility of legal aid.

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The Howells Solicitors law team are compassionate, down-to-earth and professional, offering you the best expert advice. Get in touch with solicitors in Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley to see how we can help. Fill in the form or give us a call at:

Solicitors for Adoption

The Howells Children Law team is one of the best in the country and one of the largest in the north of England.  The team have been consistently highly ranked for family work in the north from the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. They also have many positive client reviews, and are one of the top rated law firm in the UK on Review Solicitors for family law solicitors.

The children law team are part of the Howells family law team, who are supervised by our family law solicitor and director John Clegg. John is a family law specialist and covers all aspects of family law including divorce, civil partnership and cohabitation breakdown, financial matters arising on separation and divorce, pre and post-nuptial agreements and protection from domestic abuse. John is also accredited as one of the top solicitors in the UK by the prestigious Chambers and Partners.

 

The children law team are managed by senior solicitor and head of children law Charlotte Curbishley who deals with all  children law matters, specialising in advising and representing parents, children, and family members at public law proceedings. Charlotte is also on Law Society Children Panel.

 

Client Testimonials

“Amazing service brilliant and professional I highly recommend Howells especially in family law cases, Charlotte is an amazing solicitor she is professional, and understanding and caring she makes her clients voices heard and she wins.”

“Helpful from start to finish helped me reach the outcome I wanted would highly recommend.”

“Such a great help.”

“As a parent I had great fear of losing my child at this stage of PLO, however Howells Solicitor took my matter almost personally not just like a number. I felt safe and confident that she had my best honest interest, and I was guided well at every stage of my complex case.”

“I had Stephanie for the last few months of my court case, she was absolutely amazing at what she did! Steph explained everything in detail to me, she also reassured me any time I needed it, an all-round great solicitor, thank you for all your help.”

“Fantastic very professional a pleasure to talk to and explained everything in plain English and I would definitely recommend.”

“Can’t recommend enough.”

“Handled everything to a level higher than what I would expect and kept me focused and objective which dealing with my health issues was Brilliant.”

 

Chambers UK

“Increasingly active in dealing with high-net-worth cases and child abduction cases over the past year. Bolstered by a designated mediation and collaborative law group.”

 

Legal 500

“Howells handles the full spectrum of matrimonial work and children law matters. Alyson Siddall is ‘hugely experienced but always still keen to learn’ and heads the department which benefits from individuals based across Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley. Siddall is regularly instructed in complex financial arrangements and has additional expertise in private children matters and collaborative law.”

Deborah Thompson

01226 805 190
Emily Shaw

0114 249 6693
Stephanie Cundy

Children Law

01226 805 190
Laura Hill

Family Law

0114 249 6638
Sara Wildsmith

Children Law

0114 249 6646
Helen Timlin

Children Law

0114 249 6792