Fort Lauderdale Adoption Attorney

Adoption is one of the most profound legal processes a family can go through. It is also one of the most detail-intensive, with requirements that vary depending on the type of adoption, the age of the child, the parental rights that must be terminated, and the relationships between everyone involved. Working with a Fort Lauderdale adoption attorney who understands Florida’s adoption statutes, Broward County’s court procedures, and the realistic timeline from home study to finalization gives families a significant advantage at every stage of the process.

Florida law places adoption proceedings under the jurisdiction of the circuit court, and in Broward County, that means the Family Division of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. From the termination of parental rights to the issuance of the final judgment of adoption, each step carries legal consequences that a family must get right the first time. A paperwork error, a missed notice requirement, or an improperly prepared consent form can delay finalization by months or, in more serious situations, jeopardize the adoption entirely.

Whether you are a stepparent looking to formalize your role in a child’s life, a relative seeking to adopt a family member’s child, or a couple pursuing adoption through a licensed agency, the path forward requires careful legal preparation. The guidance of a Fort Lauderdale family law attorney who focuses on adoption allows you to move through the process with clarity rather than uncertainty.

What Adoption Cases in Fort Lauderdale Actually Involve

Adoption is not a single process. It is a category of legal proceedings that looks quite different depending on the circumstances. Understanding which type applies to your situation is the starting point for everything else.

• Stepparent Adoption: One of the most common adoption scenarios in Florida, stepparent adoption allows a spouse or partner to legally adopt their partner’s child. The biological parent whose rights are being terminated must either consent voluntarily or have their rights terminated through a court proceeding. Florida requires that a home study be completed unless the court waives it, and the process must go through the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County.
• Relative Adoption: When a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling steps in to raise a child whose biological parents are unable to provide a safe home, relative adoption formalizes that relationship and grants the adoptive parent full legal rights and responsibilities. Florida has specific provisions for relative placements that can streamline parts of the process compared to non-relative adoptions.
• Agency Adoption: Families who work with a licensed Florida adoption agency go through a structured process that includes a home study, matching with a child, and post-placement supervision before the court finalizes the adoption. Florida law requires agencies to be licensed by the Department of Children and Families, and working with a licensed entity is a prerequisite for this pathway.
• Private or Direct Placement Adoption: Florida permits prospective adoptive parents to work directly with a birth mother, often through an adoption attorney acting as an intermediary. This pathway involves specific consent timing rules: a birth mother cannot legally consent to adoption until 48 hours after the child is born, and that consent, once executed before a judge or notary, is generally irrevocable.
• Adult Adoption: Florida allows the adoption of adults, typically used to formalize a longstanding parent-child relationship that was never made legal, or to create inheritance rights and family ties that carry legal weight. Adult adoptions are generally simpler procedurally, but they still require a court petition and a final judgment.
• Interstate Adoption (ICPC): Families adopting a child who lives in a different state must comply with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, which requires approval from both states before a child can be moved. Fort Lauderdale families adopting from out of state or placing a child with out-of-state relatives navigate ICPC alongside Florida’s own adoption statutes.
• Termination of Parental Rights: Before most adoptions can proceed, the parental rights of one or both biological parents must be legally terminated. This can happen voluntarily through a signed consent or involuntarily through a court proceeding based on grounds such as abandonment, neglect, or abuse. Involuntary termination cases are contested and legally complex, requiring experienced courtroom representation.

Moving Through the Florida Adoption Process: What Fort Lauderdale Families Should Know

The adoption process in Florida follows a general sequence, though the specific steps and timeline depend heavily on which type of adoption you are pursuing. Most adoptions in Broward County begin with a petition filed in the circuit court, but what precedes and follows that filing is where the real work happens.

For agency and private placements, the home study is usually the first substantial step. A licensed professional evaluates the prospective adoptive family’s home environment, finances, personal histories, and references. The home study is not a judgment so much as a documentation process, but families should approach it with full transparency. Any background issues that surface during a home study are better addressed proactively than discovered late.

In stepparent adoptions, the process often centers on the other biological parent. If that parent is willing to consent, the paperwork is straightforward. If they cannot be located, Florida law provides a process for terminating parental rights based on abandonment, but it requires proper notice attempts and potentially a court hearing. A Fort Lauderdale adoption lawyer familiar with Broward County’s family court procedures can advise you on how these hearings are typically handled by judges in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.

After placement and post-placement supervision, the final hearing is the culmination of the process. In Broward County, finalization hearings are often celebratory in tone, brief in duration, and result in the issuance of a new birth certificate bearing the child’s new legal name and the adoptive parents’ names. Families are typically encouraged to bring the child and other family members to the finalization hearing. It is one of the few moments in the legal system that genuinely calls for celebration.

One mistake families frequently make is assuming that a completed home study or an executed consent form means the hard work is done. Both are necessary but not sufficient. The court must still review and approve all documentation, and any deficiency in the record, whether a missing financial disclosure, an improperly notarized consent, or an incomplete post-placement report, can cause delays. Having an adoption attorney in Fort Lauderdale review every document before it is filed significantly reduces that risk.

Why Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. for Adoption Representation in Broward County

At Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A., the focus has always been on helping families reach outcomes that are durable, legally sound, and genuinely in the best interest of the children involved. The firm serves families in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding South Florida region with an approach that prioritizes clear communication and careful preparation over rushed filings or cookie-cutter paperwork.

Adoption intersects with some of the most emotionally significant moments in a family’s life. The legal process should support that, not complicate it. Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. brings the same steady, client-focused approach to adoption cases that the firm applies across its family law practice, ensuring that clients understand each step, know what to expect, and are never left wondering what comes next. For families in Fort Lauderdale navigating the Broward County courts, that local familiarity with court procedures, filing requirements, and judicial expectations matters.

Questions Fort Lauderdale Families Ask About Adoption

How long does adoption typically take in Broward County?

The timeline varies considerably by adoption type. A straightforward stepparent adoption where the other biological parent consents can sometimes be finalized within a few months. A private placement adoption typically takes longer because of the home study, placement, and mandatory post-placement supervision period before the court will schedule a finalization hearing. Interstate adoptions that require ICPC compliance add additional time. Your attorney can give you a more realistic estimate based on the specific facts of your case.

Does Florida require a home study for all adoptions?

Not always. In stepparent adoptions, the court has discretion to waive the home study requirement, and many judges in Broward County do so when the stepparent has already been living with and caring for the child for a meaningful period. For agency, private, and relative adoptions involving non-relatives, a home study conducted by a licensed professional is generally required under Florida law.

Can a birth mother change her mind after consenting to adoption in Florida?

Under Florida law, a birth mother’s consent to adoption is generally irrevocable once it is properly executed before a judge or notary, at least 48 hours after the child is born. There is a narrow exception if the consent was obtained through fraud or duress, but in the ordinary course, a properly executed consent is legally binding. This is one reason why ensuring that consent documents are handled correctly from the outset is so important.

What happens to the child’s original birth certificate after adoption in Florida?

Once the court enters the final judgment of adoption, a new birth certificate is issued that reflects the child’s adoptive name and lists the adoptive parents. The original birth certificate is sealed. In Florida, adopted individuals who reach adulthood can petition to access their original birth certificate under certain conditions, but the new certificate issued at finalization is the legal document that governs the child’s identity going forward.

Does the child’s other biological parent have to be notified in a stepparent adoption?

Yes, in most cases. Florida law requires that the biological parent whose rights will be terminated receive notice of the adoption proceeding. If that parent consents, the process moves forward cooperatively. If they cannot be located despite diligent search efforts, the court can permit alternative service or proceed on abandonment grounds. If they are located and contest the adoption, a hearing will be required to address whether their parental rights should be involuntarily terminated.

Can same-sex couples adopt in Florida?

Yes. Following federal constitutional developments affirming marriage equality and the equal right to adopt, same-sex couples in Florida have the same adoption rights as any other couple. This includes joint adoption petitions, stepparent adoptions, and second-parent adoptions. The procedural steps are the same regardless of the composition of the adoptive family.

What if the biological father is unknown or never established paternity?

Florida has a Putative Father Registry where men who believe they may have fathered a child can register to preserve their right to notice in adoption proceedings. If a putative father has not registered and has not established legal paternity, his ability to contest an adoption is significantly limited under Florida law. An adoption attorney can advise you on how to research registry status and what steps to take based on the specific circumstances of the biological father’s involvement, or lack thereof.

Is it possible to adopt a child who is currently in the Florida foster care system?

Yes, and this is one of the most important pathways to adoption in Florida. Children in the foster care system whose parental rights have been terminated are legally available for adoption, and Florida actively works to place these children with permanent families. Foster-to-adopt cases are handled through the Department of Children and Families and the Broward County dependency court system. Prospective adoptive parents typically work with a licensed agency or directly with DCF, and the adoption is finalized in circuit court once all statutory requirements are met.

What is the difference between guardianship and adoption in Florida?

Guardianship gives a non-parent caretaker legal authority to make decisions for a child, but it does not permanently sever the parental rights of the biological parents, and it can be modified or terminated by the court. Adoption, by contrast, permanently extinguishes the biological parents’ legal rights and responsibilities and creates a new, permanent legal parent-child relationship. For families who want permanency and full legal status equivalent to a biological parent, adoption is the appropriate legal mechanism.

Can a child old enough to have preferences have a say in their own adoption?

Florida law requires the consent of a child who is 12 years of age or older for the adoption to proceed. If the child is younger, the court considers the child’s best interests rather than requiring formal consent, but a child’s expressed wishes and adjustment to the adoptive placement are factors courts consider. In practice, most adoption proceedings involving older children move forward because the child actively wants to be adopted by the petitioning family.

What if an adoption involves a child from another country?

International adoption is governed by both federal immigration law and the laws of the child’s country of origin. Many countries participate in the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, which imposes specific procedural requirements on both sending and receiving countries. U.S. families pursuing international adoption must also satisfy USCIS requirements and obtain immigration approval for the child to enter the country. This is a distinct and specialized area of adoption law that requires coordination between family law counsel and immigration counsel.

Adoption Representation Across Fort Lauderdale and South Florida

Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. serves families pursuing adoption throughout Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding communities. Within Fort Lauderdale itself, the firm works with clients from neighborhoods including Victoria Park, Tarpon River, Flagler Village, Rio Vista, Riverside Park, Poinsettia Heights, and Coral Ridge. The firm also represents families in the broader Broward County region, including Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie, Cooper City, Plantation, Sunrise, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Tamarac, North Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, and Coral Springs. Families in the Coconut Creek and Parkland areas, as well as those in Weston and Southwest Ranches, are also welcome to reach out.

Beyond Broward County, the firm serves families in the Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County areas, as well as clients in the St. Augustine and St. Johns County region. Wherever a family is located in South Florida or Northeast Florida, Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. is available to provide legal counsel on adoption proceedings handled through the appropriate Florida circuit court.

Speak With a Fort Lauderdale Adoption Lawyer About Your Family’s Path Forward

Adoption is a legal process with permanent consequences, and the steps you take early in the process shape everything that follows. Whether you are just beginning to explore your options or you are already partway through a proceeding and need guidance, speaking with a Fort Lauderdale adoption lawyer who understands Florida’s requirements and Broward County’s courts is the most important step you can take right now. Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. is ready to walk through the specifics of your situation with you, help you understand what the process will realistically look like, and work alongside your family from petition to finalization. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.