A Family Formation Law Firm

let us help you build your family

The family formation attorneys at Dempsey Law have the legal and personal experience you need to grow your family through agency compliance, assisted reproductive technology (ART), and domestic and international adoptions.

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We’re so glad you’re here.

Welcome to Dempsey Law

Whatever paths have led you to us, we’re so glad you’re trusting us to help build your family. Taking steps to welcome a child into your life or exploring your options as an expectant parent isn’t a decision anyone makes lightly. We’re ready to help you through the different stages, and roadblocks, that present themselves during whatever process you choose.

We're here to help all parents and all children-everywhere.

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Here’s What We Do

Our services are tailored to provide guidance and individualized attention to our prospective, intended, or hopeful parents. From international to domestic adoption, we’re experienced and knowledgeable about this process, and most importantly, we ground our practice in supporting you from beginning to end.

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Disruption and Dissolution

We understand that the adoption process can be emotionally and financially challenging, and we are here to support you and advocate for your rights. Our experienced attorneys have a deep understanding of the complex laws and regulations surrounding adoption in the state of North Carolina, and we are committed to fighting for the best possible outcome for you and your family. If you are facing an adoption disruption or dissolution, please don't hesitate to contact us for compassionate and skilled legal representation.

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Adoption Agency Compliance

Ensuring compliance with adoption agency regulations is vital to the success of the adoption process, as it safeguards the rights and interests of everyone involved and promotes the ethical and transparent completion of adoptions.

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Domestic Adoption

If you're looking to adopt a child domestically, we can help. We have years of experience handling infant adoption, interstate adoption, stepparent adoption, guardianship, and more.

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Stepparent and Relative Adoption

As a step-parent, you have already formed a parent-child relationship. However, you may choose to formalize the parent-child relationship through step-parent adoption. If you are considering a North Carolina step-parent adoption, Dempsey Law can help.

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Interstate Infant Adoption

This is a required legal process if you’re seeking to adopt a child who is currently not living in the same state as you. It is known as ICPC and must be completed before you can return home with the child.

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International Adoption

Adopting internationally can be stressful and expensive. At Dempsey Law, we’ll work to help you secure citizenship for your adopted child, choose an international adoption service provider, and provide insight into any issues of eligibility for international adoption. We’ll also customize our services to meet the unique needs that may arise during an international adoption.

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Surrogacy and Assisted Reproductive Technology

Dempsey Law is dedicated to helping individuals and couples build their families through the use of assisted reproductive technology and surrogacy.

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Adoption from Foster Care

The goal of foster care is to provide temporary care for children while their parents work to address issues that led to the child's removal. In some cases, reunification is not possible and the biological parent's rights may be terminated, making the child available for adoption. Foster parents who have formed a bond with the child may be able to adopt in these cases. Dempsey Law can help.

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Contested Adoption

If an adoption is being contested by a birth parent wishing to exercise their parental rights, we can help. During the adoption process, the court must determine whether the birth parent, or parents, must consent to the adoption. A contested adoption requires experienced counsel to protect your rights and ensure that the law is correctly applied.

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Birth Parent Representation

If you've made the decision to place your child through adoption, you should be informed and empowered to move forward with a plan that meets your expectations. An experienced adoption attorney can help you understand the various choices you are able to make. For example, you'll have an option to enter into an open adoption, semi-open adoption, or closed adoption. We'll represent you though this sometimes difficult decision-making process.

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Re-Adoption

Re-adoption is the legal process to a foreign adoption recognized and domesticated in North Carolina. Sometimes re-adoption is necessary to allow the child to obtain US citizenship. Re-adoption also allows a child to have documents, including a birth certificate, issued by state officials. As opposed to relying on foreign documents that cannot be replicated easily, if at all. At Dempsey Law, we're experienced with both domestic and international adoptions, and we can help you decide if re-adoption is useful or necessary.

Learn more about our immigration and naturalization services at Dempsey Law PLLC.

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Immigration Services and Naturalization

If you are a parent who is looking to naturalize your foreign-born children, you may have a number of questions about the process and the different options available to you. Dempsey Law is here to help you navigate the process and achieve your goals.

Adoption Stories

Over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to be a part of forming families across the country and around the world.

See What Others Are Saying About Us

We are committed to helping clients build their families through adoption. But you don't have to take our word for it!

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Nicole was amazing to work with. She was super knowledgeable on the regulations and had an overall sense of how IAAME is interpreting them. She was organized, communicative, efficient and always met deadlines. It was super helpful to have her review the work we were submitting and also to help us brainstorm areas where we could be stronger. Having an ability to talk through things or bounce ideas off of her was really valuable. Nicole provided us a level of confidence that this process strips seasoned professionals of and she was also the calm cheerleader we needed on some days. Our agency couldn’t recommend her more.

Lisa Clark

Adopt International

In the past 2 years Attorney Skellenger has represented over a dozen of our agencies’ birth mothers in the adoption process. She has always been responsive and represented her clients competently and with compassion.

Robert C. Lamarche

Executive Director, ACF Adoptions

My husband Chris and I felt powerless as we waited to bring our daughter Laxmi home. All that changed after I called Kelly Dempsey. I knew that with her in our court, we would be empowered and equipped to move forward and become the family we dreamed of being. Kelly is tough, smart, passionate, dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable, and much respected by those involved in international adoption. She is nothing short of awesome, and we are just one of her many clients who will tell you this. I could go on and on about Kelly, but here’s the bottom line: If you want to bring your child home, hire Kelly. She will work tirelessly and fight like hell for you and your family.

Jennifer R.

Working with Kelly was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made for our family. In fact, we probably wouldn’t be a family without her. She is knowledgeable, determined, compassionate and our experience with her was the only time in our adoption process that we felt like there was someone who cared for our children the way that we did. We are forever grateful!

Megan and Josh G.

Kelly was instrumental in bringing our daughter home, helping us find the truth and overcome the bureaucratic hurdles thrown at us. She knew what to do and how to do it, and that was a lifeline for us. We wholeheartedly recommend her.

Daniel C.

Family Formation

We believe in keeping our families informed throughout the adoption, surrogacy, or ART process, so we’ve put together a page full of blogs and resources to keep you in the know.

Blogs and Resources

Federal Adoption Tax Credit Update and Provisions for 2023

If you are unsure whether you qualify or need to take steps to receive your tax credit, you should consult a tax advisor or CPA. You might be eligible for this credit if you adopted a child or had a domestic adoption fail in 2022.

How Are Intended Parents Protected in a Surrogacy Contract?

At Dempsey Law, we are committed to providing the support you need to proceed with surrogacy. Contact us to learn how we can assist you during your surrogacy journey.