Rose Tarbhai Law Group assists with stepparent, second-parent, related, and adult adoptions, as well as parentage proceedings involving recognition or adjudication of a parent-child relationship. The correct path depends on how the family was formed, the child's existing legal parents, consent, service, and whether any rights must first be addressed.
For unmarried parents, establishing parentage is often the gateway to enforceable decision-making, parenting time, and support orders. A name on a birth certificate, genetic relationship, acknowledgment, prior order, or assisted-reproduction history can have different legal significance.
Scope of representation
Adoption and parentage work may involve
- Stepparent, second-parent, related, and adult adoption
- Voluntary acknowledgments of parentage and adjudication proceedings
- Genetic testing, consent, notice, service, and default issues
- Allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, and support after parentage
- Assisted reproduction, donor agreements, and intended-parent questions
- Birth records, name changes, and post-judgment implementation
How we approach the work
Secure the relationship, not just the paperwork
The filing should match the family's legal history. Before choosing a procedure, identify every existing legal parent, acknowledgment, judgment, adoption, marital presumption, donor document, or order from another jurisdiction that may affect the analysis.
Where adoption is available, final orders and updated records create durable proof of the relationship. Where parentage is disputed, early attention to service, testing, standing, and temporary child-related needs can prevent delay and instability.
Illinois family-law insights
Read before your next decision.
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers to the first questions.
Does a stepparent adoption require the other parent's consent?
Often consent or a legal basis to terminate or dispense with existing rights is required. The answer depends on the child's current legal parents and the specific facts.
Is being on the birth certificate always enough to establish parentage?
Not in every situation. The legal effect depends on how the record was created and whether an acknowledgment, presumption, or court judgment exists.
Can an adult be adopted in Illinois?
Illinois permits adult adoption under statutory requirements. Adult adoption may provide legal recognition and inheritance consequences, but related estate documents should still be reviewed.
Can parentage and parenting time be decided together?
They can be part of the same proceeding, but parentage must be legally established before final parental-responsibility and support rights are imposed.