Adoption

Greenlight Family Services offers quality adoption services from home studies to legal representation. Greenlight attorneys are dedicated to help guide families through the adoption process. Intake staff take the extra time needed to ensure that each adoptive parent who contacts Greenlight finishes the initial phone call feeling informed and cared for. Services are free of cost to families interested in DCFS foster parent adoptions. For all other forms of adoption, Greenlight uses a sliding fee scale based on income to determine the cost of services. Adoptive parents are informed of the cost up front, without the hidden costs or the hourly fees that other law firms often add on.

Adoption FAQ

Is adoption permanent?

Yes. Adoption creates a lifelong legal connection between a child and the adoptive parent. This legal connection continues beyond the age of 18, when the child becomes an adult.

Do the birth parents have any rights after the adoption is finalized?

No. Adoption terminates the rights of the biological parents. Adoptive parents are awarded all legal parental rights. Birth parents cannot reclaim those rights after the adoption is finalized.

Will a new birth certificate be issued?

Yes. As part of the adoption process, the child’s birth certificate is updated. The name of the child may be changed and the parents listed are the adoptive parent(s).

Does an adopted child have the same inheritance rights as a biological child?

Yes. There is no legal difference between an adopted child and a biological child. If an adoptive parent has both a biological child and an adopted child, both children may inherit equally from their parent.