Our family law team has experience in assisting clients with the adoption process whether involving a New Zealand child or a child from overseas.  We act for those looking to adopt a child and for the birth mothers or fathers whose consent is usually required.

Although not as common as in the past, adoption remains a very definitive way to give a child or young person a “new start” in life.  Adoption has the effect of severing  legal ties with a child’s birth family and creating a new legal relationship with the adoptive parent and family.

As adoption has major implications for a child, we advise those involved in the process to seek quality legal advice about whether adoption is the best solution to meet a child or young person's need for care and what other solutions may be available.  If adoption is appropriate then we can carefully and sensitively assist our client through the process.