Top Alcoa, TN Adoption Lawyers Near You

Are you Considering Starting or Expanding Your Family Through Adoption?

If so, this is an important time in your life. When people wish to start or expand their family but are unable to have children on their own, adoption can be a great option. Adoption is the legal process a person or a couple goes through to obtain all rights and responsibilities in caring for a child. While adoption may seem simple, a skilled Alcoa adoption attorney can help you make the right decisions for your family.

Different Types of Adoption

There are many types of adoption and different ways of adopting a child. Whether you choose a closed adoption where you and the birth parent(s) remain confidential or an open adoption where you are in contact with the birth parent(s) will be up to all parties involved. Adoptive parents also have the option of adopting children inside the United States or Internationally. Adopting a child of a different ethnicity is also very common. Many states allow same-sex couples to adopt as well.

Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney

• How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
• How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
• What is the likely outcome for my case?

In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.

Top Questions to Ask a Lawyer

• What is the usual process to resolve my case? How long will it take to resolve this?
• What are likely outcomes of a case like mine? What should I expect?

An experienced lawyer should be able to communicate a basic “road map” on how to proceed. The lawyer should be able to walk you through the anticipated process, key considerations, and potential pitfalls to avoid. Once you’ve laid out the facts of your situation to the lawyer, he/she should be able to frame expectations and likely scenarios to help you understand your legal issue.

Points to Consider Before Hiring a Lawyer

Experience. Regardless of the type of legal matter you need help with, an experienced attorney will usually be able to get you better results.

Competence. Determine an attorney’s expertise by asking about their track record for the issue you need help with resolving.

Fit. There are plenty of good attorneys out there; make sure you find one you are comfortable working with.

Common legal terms explained

Personal jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority over a person, in order to bind that person to the judgment of the court, based on minimum contacts. International Shoe Co v. Washington is a landmark Supreme Court case outlining the scope of a state court’s reach in personal jurisdiction.