LGBTQ+ Adoptions in Tennessee
Wednesday, November 11th, 2020
Tennessee law permits persons who identify as LGBTQ+ to adopt children to the same extent as persons identifying as heterosexual and cisgender, so long as they meet the general requirements for adoption under Tennessee law. However, persons identifying as LGBTQ+ should be aware that Tennessee law does not require private adoption agencies—even those that get […]
Read More »Grandparent – Grandchildren Adoption
Tuesday, November 10th, 2020
How do grandparents with custody of their grandchildren decide whether to adopt? Often, grandparents find themselves (sometimes rather suddenly) the legal or physical custodians of grandchildren that they did not plan to raise. Of course, the first hope is that the parents will be able to move past whatever difficulty keeps them from raising the […]
Read More »Spotlight Article: Camelot Care Centers Therapeutic Foster Care Program
Monday, November 9th, 2020
Camelot Care Centers offers community-based family therapeutic foster care and behavioral health services throughout the state of Tennessee. There are over 8,000 children currently in Tennessee’s foster care system, and Camelot works with the Department of Children’s Services to place some of these children in loving and supportive foster homes while they wait to see […]
Read More »Grandparent Adoption
Thursday, November 5th, 2020
You Are Not Alone When you are in your fifties or sixties, you are likely looking forward to retirement. It probably doesn’t occur to you that you might need to raise your grandchildren. But grandparent adoption happens. According to a study conducted by the Council on Aging, in Tennessee, over 70,000 grandparents are raising their […]
Read More »What Foster and Adoptive Parents Should Know About Caring for Children Who Have Witnessed Domestic Violence
Wednesday, October 28th, 2020
A Hurt you Cannot See: In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Held Law Firm is highlighting the many issues that domestic violence causes with our clients and in the communities we serve. The impact of domestic violence in a home does not stop with the direct victims; it also impacts other people in the […]
Read More »Terminating Parental Rights in Tennessee
Friday, August 21st, 2020
The first stage in any adoption proceeding is terminating parental rights of the biological parents. Unless you are pursuing a stepparent adoption, you must terminate both biological parents’ rights. A court will only terminate a parent’s rights if the petitioner can prove at least one of the legal grounds to terminate. The petitioner must also […]
Read More »Social Security Benefits for Adopted Grandchildren
Friday, August 14th, 2020
At Held Law Firm, many of the adoption clients we see are grandparents seeking to adopt their grandchildren. However, many people in this group are unable to work. They rely on Social Security Retirement or Disability benefits for their income. Adopting and raising children is always a challenge, but it can be especially difficult for people living on […]
Read More »Harmony Family Center on the Journey of Adoption
Friday, July 24th, 2020
Guest blog by Harmony Family Center. When you hear the word “adoption,” what comes to mind? You might be surprised that adoption in the United States and here in Tennessee often doesn’t look like what you imagine — a baby brought home from the hospital by their forever family or adoption from another country. In fact, most […]
Read More »Adoption Resources: The First Steps to a Bigger Family
Wednesday, June 24th, 2020
Beginning the adoption process often feels overwhelming. Finding out where to start is a good first step. Luckily, there are a variety of adoption resources available to prospective adoptive families. Below, we have outlined some of those resources for people looking to welcome a new addition to their family. Tennessee State Adoption Assistance Program ⇨ […]
Read More »Adult Adoption: Formalizing a Family
Friday, June 19th, 2020
When people think of adoptions, they most think of the process of adopting a child. However, adults can be adopted. Adult adoption involving an individual over the age of 18 occurs primarily for 2 reasons: to formalize an existing parental relationship, or for inheritance purposes. Many people are not raised by their biological parents. However, […]
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