[srusse24]

How long does it generally take to finalize an adoption?

We are matched with a baby boy due in August, and plan on taking him home from the hospital. This is a domestic, in-state adoption through a private agency. Is it unrealistic to think we could finalize by the end of the year?

I know each case is different, I am just trying to get some idea.

[tobeafamily]

Post placement and finalization are dictated by the laws in your state. Your attorney should be able to provide you with a timeline and requirements for finalization.

For instance, in Virginia, six months' post-placement supervision are required, with a minimum of three post placement visits - one of which must be in the home. Visits can be no closer than thirty days' apart. Once post placement is completed, a report is filed and an attorney petitions for finalization - usually a 30 day process.

Your residence state may have very different requirements.

Hope this helps.

Regina

[ourdreamcametru]

We're in Tennessee and the wait is 6 months.

[joskids]

Six months in Ohio. Monthly post-placement visits. Check with your agency. They should support you through the entire process.

[mommamarci]

I have not adopted yet (so no finalization!!), but have been told in Indiana, it is about 3 months if there are no problems.

[melliemoo]

The waiting period is 6 months in Texas.

Melissa =)

[Emster]

I know here in Indiana, each jurisdiction decides how long they will require for finalization. I know my county wants at least 6 mos, another wants 1 year, and our son's adoption we just finalized thru another county was done at 3 mos.

[HappyTwinsMom]

It does depend on your state. We live in Washington, but our daughters were born in Idaho. Under Idaho law at that time, there was a six-month wait to finalize (we did it right on the 6-month mark). That law has since changed, so I understand, and the wait is reduced to one month.

Best of luck with your adoption!

[ajrl]

We are adopting and finalizing in Indiana. We are having a minority birth which means our adoption should be finalized in 2-3 months and over the phone. I wont have to go back to Indiana to finalize. Our lawyer will schedule everything as soon as the pbmom reliqueshes after 48 hours.

In Indy you have to have max of 2 postplacements. So we will have one after 30 days then the next one the following month.

YIPPEEEE So by my anniversary in October I am hoping that we will be finalized.

In GA the laws very from 6-18 months depending on the situation and the court. Here you have to have monthly postplacement visits till finalization.

AJ

[StorkWatcher]

In my area of Indiana, for our in-state private agency adoption, we finalized about 3 months later. It would have been closer to 2 months, but the Christmas holiday delayed us.

Bmom's rights were TPRd 48 hours after his birth (because it was C-section, so it couldn't be any sooner). THe Bfather's rights were officially TPRd 30 days after his birth, because he was unnamed, and we had to wait to be sure he didn't contact anyone about the Putative Father Registry.

Then we only had to have one post-placement visit (which happened after that 30 day period).

[HBV]

Oklahoma also has a 6 month period, but it can be waived if the bparents rights have been terminated. Bmom in our case terminated hers right away, but it took a while to track down bdad. He finally terminated about 11 weeks into the process. We had one more hearing at about 14 weeks because of a Native American (ICWA) issue, but when that went smoothly, we asked for the interlocutory period (the 6 months) which would normally start to run following TPR, to be waived. We'd had all the post placements by then, had a doctor's report on H's health and care, and there was no one left to notify or object, so the judge agreed to waive the period and we finalized within 5 months of bringing H home. Apparently it is possible to get a waiver of the 6 months depending on the circumstances.

[gigigeorge]

we too are in OK and had the time period waived, we finalized at 4 months but only because we had some scheduling difficulties in getting a court date since my husband travel often for work.

g.

[mommy2Adam]

We adopted from Va. Had to stay in Va for 5 weeks.. DS was a month old when he got to fly home to Oklahoma. Then we had to have 3 post placement visits. So lets see that was DS born 4-25-05. Came home 5-28-05. First PPV Last of june, Then some time in Augsust then in Sept. All the paper work sent to lawyers. Had problems with our Va Attorney.. He left if law firm. So had to search for all the paperwork. Then Va didn't send BC and that took a few months to get. SLOW SLOW SLOW SLOW... So we finalized March 10th, 2006. So it took at least 10 months for us to finalize.

[mari_beth]

You might be able to finalize by the end of the year. We had several glitches with getting papers signed, so it took us 2 months longer than we thought it would. Our daughter was born the end of Oct and we just finalized in July in KY. Nothing is ever definite with adoption paperwork! Good luck!

[timbo30]

We are in CA and adopted from UT. Both states require a 6 month waiting period. We finalized on Mother's Day weekend.

Timbo