PRIVATE ADOPTIONPrivate Adoption involves a child being directly placed for adoption by the biological mother into the care of prospective parents. Melissa’s experience with private adoptions is extensive, and she thoughtfully guides clients through the entire legal process from matching through adoption finalization.
INTRA-FAMILY ADOPTIONAn intra-family adoption is the adoption of a child by a stepparent, grandparent or other relative. The adopted child is then recognized as the legal child of the adopting parent. Melissa manages all necessary filings, including obtaining the other parent’s consent or termination of rights, in order for the adoption to proceed.
INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONWith intercountry adoptions, Melissa helps families who have obtained legal custody of a child in a foreign country to finalize the adoption, which allows those families to obtain a Louisiana birth certificate for their foreign-born child.
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ADULT ADOPTIONAdult adoptions involve the adoption of a person who is 18 years of age or older. Often adult adoptions formalize an existing parent-young adult relationship or complete an adoption that wasn’t finalized before the adoptee’s eighteenth birthday. These adoptions can be especially meaningful to everyone involved. Melissa handles all details of the required documents, ensuring the adoption is legally recognized by the court.
AGENCY ADOPTIONAn adoption agency networks and connects within a community, finding and offering expectant mothers, or birth mothers, the support they need if considering placing their child for adoption. An agency also offers profiles of families for the mother to choose from, and when a match occurs, the agency moves forward with the adoption process. Melissa has worked with several adoption agencies over the years and welcomes the opportunity to work with others.
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Melissa Berniard | Berniard Family Law, LLC
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