November is National Adoption Month and 2009 is the tenth anniversary of this event. November 21st is National Adoption Day, and many courts around the country will be finalizing adoptions. In addition, policy makers, adoption advocates and adoptive parents will be celebrating in a variety of ways. To learn more about this year's celebrations, to follow on Twitter, or to get involved, see http://bit.ly/3YJ982.

Kalish Law Office has been involved in domestic adoptions for 25 years, and international adoptions for almost 20 years. According to the U.S. State Department, there have been about 215,000 international adoptions to the U.S. in the time period between October 1, 1998 and November 30, 2008. http://bit.ly/Z4HGt

During that period of time, the laws have changed in both domestic and international adoptions. In the domestic area, states have enacted laws which require specific requirements which MUST be met prior to the approval of an adoption. Some requirements which were in the "judge's discretion" are no longer left to a case-by-case basis. There have also been changes in the law regarding terminations and adoptions involving Child Protective Services as well as adoptions involving one or more states.

In the international arena, the Hague Convention is being implemented by many countries around the world. The process for adopting a child and bringing her/him to the US will vary, depending on the country of the child's residence, and other facts of the case. It is crucial that potential adoptive parents understand the laws that will apply BEFORE beginning the adoption process, and in many cases, before initiating any contact with the child's biological parents or legal guardian. It is also crucial that the potential adoptive parents have accurate, current information regarding U.S. immigration policy and that all paperwork is filed properly and in a timely manner.

Working with adoptive families is one of the most rewarding aspects of the legal profession!