Adoptions need to offer a family to child without a family.  Adoption too often originates for other reasons. Ultimately adoption should be for the benefit and in the best interest of the child. Unfortunately, the child is the only unrepresented party in the legally binding adoption agreement.

The adopting parents usually have legal counsel but the mother may or may not have legal representation. She may be offered legal counsel by the same attorney as the adoptive family or through the adoption agency. Either scenario constitutes a lack of representation at worst and one of conflicting interests at best.

If the biological father and the biological mother are not married, the father often has no representation and only limited rights. Fathers typically find themselves on the losing side of legal representation when not married to the child’s mother.

The child often has no official representation.

The adoption process has to go through a paradigm shift so that all parties are equally represented!

Ultimately adoption should be for the benefit of the child first.