Guardianship and Adoption in California
A guardianship, adoption and conservatorship, is the process in which another person assumes the responsibility for the care, supervision and well-being of another.
As a result, there are many legal technicalities involved that demand attention from an experienced, diligent attorney who will meticulously work to ensure that all requirements are fulfilled and all documents are properly filed.
Our lawyers have extensive family law experience and genuinely care about each client's well-being. To schedule a free consultation with a lawyer at David J. Benoun & Jack Benoun, Attorneys at Law in Fremont, call 510-371-0979 or contact us online.
- Adoption: Most adoptions are stepparent adoptions, where a divorced and remarried parent will want his or her new spouse to become a child's legal parent. While this affords the adoptive parent full parental rights, you must first terminate the parental rights of the biological parent. To do this, you must either get the consent of the parent or prove to the court that they are unfit to parent. This can be because of a prolonged absence, criminal activity, abusive behavior, drug use or other harmful behavior.
- Guardianship: Obtaining guardianship over a child gives a person the authority to make decisions regarding the child's education, health, upbringing, safety and development. The legal guardian has custody of the child and the power to manage the child’s property. A guardianship does not terminate the biological parent's rights, he or she can still have reasonable contact with the child and the court end the guardianship if the other parent becomes available to care for the child.
- Conservatorship: A conservatorship is established when the court decides that an adult is unable to care for his or her self or finances. As a conservator, you are responsible to the court to make important decisions about a person's health, safety and finances.
You can schedule a free consultation to discuss guardianships, adoptions and conservatorships with a lawyer at our firm by calling 510-371-0979 or by contacting us online.
