There are very few court orders that actually change who a person is but
an adoption order does just that. There can be no greater intrusion into
Family Life by the State than for a court to make a placement order
paving the way to the child ceasing to be a member of one family and, at
a stroke, belonging to another.
This Practical Guide covers the range of processes in the Courts in
England and Wales and in Local Authorities and other Adoption Agencies
here that relate to the adoption of UK children. It includes how
prospective adopters become approved, how a parent's wish for the child
to be adopted is formalised, the placement for adoption route, the
application to adopt and the effect of adoption orders. It also deals
with the choice between adoption and special guardianship, applications
to revoke placement orders or to join in and oppose adoption
applications, step-parent adoption and the issue of contact after
placement and adoption orders have been made.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Having been Senior Partner and Head of Family Law Team at Pickerings (a
Legal 500 practice) and having specialised in family law since the
1980s, Graham is now a consultant within the firm's Children Law team,
representing children, parents, prospective parents and clinics in
public and private law cases, with a special emphasis on care, adoption
and surrogacy matters. He has presented training courses for solicitors,
barristers and legal executives on a variety of children law subjects
across the country for a number of training organisations since 1997.
