Within the family law practice area, adoption supports a child’s hope of becoming a cherished family member in a loving home that provides nurturing and stability.
However, beneath the heartwarming stories of North Carolina adoption, its complex legal processes and emotional aspects for children and adults demand the highest ethical standards. Adoption services should respect the rights and needs of all individuals involved. North Carolina residents seeking to adopt children here or from other states can enjoy many benefits from partnering with a law firm committed to ethical adoption practices.
At Mills Adoption Law, we believe ethical adoption forms the foundation of strong, secure, and permanent families. With over 35 years of extensive experience in this aspect of family law, our approach prioritizes transparency, legal acumen, and the well-being of every member of the adoption triad—adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoptees.
Why Ethical Adoption Practices Matter in North Carolina
Ethical adoption practices uphold fairness, honesty, and respect for all parties affected. Whether through a licensed adoption agency or independent adoption, when all participants adhere to these principles, the adoption process provides families with the security and confidence they need to focus on building relationships. Conversely, unethical practices can lead to emotional devastation, legal complications, and irreversible consequences.
Adoption often intersects with sensitive issues, such as the rights of birth parents, the needs and best interests of children, and the expectations of prospective adoptive parents. Ethical practices handle these complexities with care and prevent scenarios such as:
- Overlooked or dismissed parental rights
- Unfulfilled promises to birth mothers
- Inaccurate or incomplete information given to adoptive families
Integrity is paramount in everything, from approving an adoption petition and conducting due diligence to verifying opportunities and finalizing a post-placement report following a home study.
Transparency Builds Trust
Transparency is at the heart of ethical adoption. For adoptive parents in North Carolina, it means working with an attorney who can help them understand every aspect of the process and its unique characteristics.
When families contact Mills Adoption Law, they ask questions like, “How long will it take to adopt?” and “What will it cost to adopt?” While providing simple answers is tempting, we believe it’s better to acknowledge the individualized nature of adoption rather than treat it as a “cookie-cutter” process.
Length of Time It Takes to Adopt in North Carolina
Biological parents should be aware of their legal rights and options, and the implications of their decisions. Upholding transparency means addressing tough questions about the legal rights of birth parents and establishing secure and permanent agreements.
However, many birth mothers want to make the process as simple as possible, sometimes wishing to avoid communication with the birth father. While this might seem convenient, it compromises the ethical standards of the adoption process. Furthermore, an adoption attorney recognizes that circumstances—such as whether it’s a domestic infant adoption, stepparent adoption, adult adoption, or international adoption—influence the timeframe significantly.
The Cost of Adopting a New Family Member
The costs of adoption vary widely depending on the type. We explain the specific variables of their case upfront to adoptive parents, equipping them to make informed decisions. For more information, read our blogs How Much Does Adoption Cost in North Carolina and The Adoption Process in North Carolina: How to Finance Your Dream Family.
I Want to Adopt Children. What are the Legal Requirements?
Home Study
Most adoptions in North Carolina, including a Raleigh adoption, require a home study, except for stepparents and placements between close relatives. A third party, usually a social worker, makes multiple visits to your home to collect information about your family’s current make-up, health history, and family history. During these visits, they speak with each family member about how they feel about the adoption. The agency checks references and conducts criminal background checks. Finally, the individual who conducted the home study creates a report of their findings, and the agency determines whether the individual or family is worthy of being a child’s hope through adoption.
Placement Opportunity
Once the home study is approved, the individual or family looking to adopt can search for a placement opportunity to connect with a biological parent who wants to find someone to adopt their child. Prospective parents can advertise their availability in multiple ways, including:
Direct outreach—Adoptive parents should leverage their social network of friends, family, and acquaintances. Many also publish their profiles on social media platforms to make contact with biological parents.
Advertising—Some media entities specialize in advertising for prospective birth parents, placing advertisements, or hosting the prospective adoptive parents’ profiles. However, these media entities may not facilitate matches between birth parents and adoptive parents.
Facilitators—Facilitators advertise and act as intermediaries to connect birth parents and adoptive parents.
Adoption agencies—Agencies offer a full array of services, including preparing the home study, advertising, acting as an intermediary to connect the birth parents and adoptive parents, accepting legal custody of the child, placing the child, and providing postplacement services.
Matching Children with Families
Once an adoption opportunity presents itself, an individual or family must determine whether it’s right for them.
Prospective adoptive parents are responsible for evaluating the suitability of an opportunity in a direct or independent placement. Advertisers and facilitators only present opportunities and make matches; they do not conduct due diligence, risk assessments, or offer counseling or placement services.
Every child deserves a home. When matching children with families, concerns focus on the suitability of a particular opportunity for the prospective adoptive family. An experienced adoption lawyer can assist prospective adoptive parents in conducting due diligence and risk assessment for each potential adoption by conducting background checks and obtaining in-person evaluations and medical records.
Placement of Children
In a direct, private, or independent adoption, a placement occurs when a prospective adoptive parent identifies an adoption opportunity by direct outreach, advertising, or through a facilitator. It is known as direct, private, or independent because the birth parent places the child directly with the prospective adoptive parent with no agency involved as an intermediary.
An agency placement occurs when the agency presents the opportunity to the adoptive parents, makes the match, and the birth parent gives the agency legal custody of the child. The agency delegates physical custody and responsibility for care to the prospective adoptive parents and retains legal custody until the finalization of the adoption.
Finalization Under Family Law
Per North Carolina’s family law, the legal details of adoption vary depending on the specific facts of each case. The legal process usually begins before placement occurs and continues afterward.
Legalities include obtaining consent or relinquishment from the placing parent and addressing the legal rights of the other biological parent, including any potential birth father.
If the child is born in a different state from the state where the adoptive parents reside, they must satisfy the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) before they take the child home.
Mills Adoption Law: Experience for What Matters Most— Family
With 35-plus years representing all sides of the adoption triad in North Carolina, attorney Bobby Mills brings extensive insight to every case. He has argued cases at the Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Supreme Court, served on adoption-related committees, and advocated for legislative change. This background translates into practical strategies that prioritize ethical standards for clients who wish to adopt without compromising the achievement of their ultimate goal of giving children loving, stable homes.
Have you been searching online for an “adoption lawyer,” “adoption attorneys,” or “adoption lawyers?”
When you choose Mills Adoption Law, you’re not just hiring an adoption attorney; you’re gaining a partner who understands adoption from every angle. Bobby’s experience allows him to offer compassionate guidance during emotional decisions and provide the legal rigor necessary to facilitate a smooth and valid process.
If you are ready to take the next step, call Mills Adoption Law today at (919) 306-2899 or complete our online form to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Copyright © 2025. Mills Adoption Law. All rights reserved.
The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
Mills Adoption Law
Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 306-2899
https://www.millsadoptionlaw.com/