Practice Areas

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.