Though they can sometimes be bittersweet, most of the adoptions I have seen over the years are happy occasions. The new adoptive parents sometimes decorate the courtroom with balloons or streamers, and the judge sometimes comes off the bench to pose for pictures with the new family. Guardianships are much the same way; most people are usually happy in the knowledge that the child’s needs are being met.
It is always a good day at the Law Office of Mel A. Cook when I can help perform a stepparent adoption, agency adoption or foreign adoption. I can also assist with any guardianship issues you may have with any
The law gives preference to adoption by a married mother and father. Some adoptions I routinely handle include:
If the adopting parent is married to the child’s custodial parent, the child has lived with the adopting parent for at least one year, and the adopting parent is at least 10 years older than the child, the parents may file a petition for stepparent adoption. Such a proceeding is made much easier if all parties, including the child’s noncustodial parent, agree to the adoption. A stepparent adoption effectively terminates the parental rights of the other biological parent.
Guardianship is more limited than custody, mainly because a guardian has less decision-making power for a ward than a parent has for a child. If certain conditions are met, Utah courts may create either a limited guardianship or a normal guardianship. The child’s age is often the determining factor between the two. Utah law allows up to three guardians for any one minor child. A guardianship proceeding is also a good time to draw up a will and other testamentary documents, which I can help you prepare.
