Anchorage International Re-Adoption Lawyer

Anchorage International Re-Adoption Attorney

A re-adoption in Alaska helps finalize the process and ensure you are the legal parent of the child you have adopted. This is especially important if your foreign adoption only provided you with a guardianship. It ensures a stronger legal tie between you and your child, giving them the same benefits and support as a birth child. An Anchorage international re-adoption lawyer can help with this process, allowing you to celebrate this new chapter of your life.

Hire an International Re-Adoption Lawyer at Otterson Law & Mediation, P.C.

The team at Otterson Law & Mediation, P.C., can help families throughout Alaska who need legal guidance in international re-adoption cases. We help you complete the process correctly, avoiding errors that add unneeded delays. We are familiar with the many agencies that handle adoptions and the international re-adoption laws that affect families throughout the state. Our goal is to limit the legal stress of the process.

Stefan Otterson has more than 35 years of legal experience and has spent the last 25 years working in family law. When you work with our firm, we listen to your situation and help you determine the right approach for your adoption case. We help with each step of the way and give you the support and guidance you and your family deserve.

Understanding International Adoption and Re-Adoption in Anchorage

Many parents decide to adopt, while international adoption has become less common across the country since the 2000s. In 2023, 523 children were welcomed into Alaska families through adoption, with less than 1% being intercountry adoptions and the majority being from foster care.

Usually, the parents work with an international adoption agency and ultimately officially adopt their child in another country. However, when they come home with their new son or daughter, they are advised to do a re-adoption in the state where they reside in the United States. This ensures that the adoption of their child is legally recognized by the state.

In Alaska, the Alaska Superior Court gives its stamp of approval for the adoption. Then, the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics can issue an Alaska Certificate of Birth for the new arrival. In Anchorage, there are two Alaska Superior Courts located in downtown Anchorage. These include the Nesbett Courthouse and the Boney Courthouse.

The birth certificate will include the country where the child was born, but it will still look like every other child’s birth certificate issued in Alaska.

Re-Adoption Vs. Registration of an Adoption Decree

International adoptions can be completed while the child is still outside the U.S. through the foreign country’s adoption process. However, not all nations follow the same proceedings.

If your child’s adoption wasn’t completed outside the country, then the adoption has to be finalized in the U.S. upon return, which is also called re-adoption. The re-adoption process can still be done if the adoption was finalized in another country, as it provides additional benefits.

1. Registering a foreign decree of adoption. Families can petition the court to register a foreign adoption decree, which enables the court to recognize a decision made by an external jurisdiction in the state. It provides parents with rights and responsibilities the same as if the decree were issued by an Alaskan court. It also provides the child with an Alaska birth certificate.
2. Re-adoption, or finalizing an adoption domestically. Families can also go through the adoption process in Alaska, whether or not the adoption was finalized internationally. This is a more effective option than registering a foreign adoption decree if the international country made you the legal guardian of the child, rather than their legal parent. This process establishes you as their legal parent in Alaska. If the adoption wasn’t finalized, this is essential and ensures your child has a path to citizenship.

If you aren’t sure whether or not you need re-adoption, you can discuss the case with an attorney. An attorney will help you review the immigrant visa your child has. If your child has an IR-3 or IH-3 visa, it means they were adopted abroad, and the adoption was already finalized

Re-adoption is optional. With an IR-4 or IH-4 visa, the adoption must be finalized in the U.S., which makes the re-adoption process crucial.

What Are the Benefits of Re-Adoption?

Going through re-adoption has benefits for children and parents. This includes:

• Having an adoption decree for Alaska
• Ensuring there are no irregular aspects of the adoption
• Allowing you to get an Alaska birth certificate for your child
• Ensuring you have the same rights to your internationally adopted child as you would for a domestically adopted or biological child
• Preventing any issues if foreign adoption laws change
• Easing the process of changing a child’s name or date of birth
• Providing easier access to replacement documents, such as birth certificates and adoption decrees

The re-adoption process adds legal protection for children and their parents. It offers long-term security and peace of mind for Alaskan families and eliminates uncertainty about parental rights. Re-adoption ensures your child’s legal status is recognized by both U.S. and Alaska law

Why Is It Helpful to Work With a Re-Adoption Lawyer?

It’s helpful to hire an international re-adoption lawyer in Anchorage to make the process easier on you. International adoptions can be complicated and overwhelming. This is especially true if you’re dealing with unfamiliar international adoption requirements on top of requirements by your home state.

A re-adoption attorney understands how to navigate these complex issues. They help you file the right documents, explain the uses of registration vs. re-adoption, and answer any questions you have. Bringing a new child into your family should be a time of celebration. Working with an Anchorage international re-adoption lawyer can help relieve some of the associated stress so you can enjoy the journey.

The Process of Re-Adoptions

Re-adoptions are less complicated when the parents’ rights have already been dealt with in the other country. It is just a matter of providing all the correct paperwork to the Alaska courts to satisfy the requirements of completing an Alaskan adoption.

However, the process can become more complex when the adoption needs to be finalized in-state. It can be helpful to do the following when preparing to readopt your child through the state court:

1. Determine your child’s visa type and whether domestic adoption is required, and decide if you want to complete optional re-adoption for its benefits.
2. Collect necessary information, which may include the international adoption papers and decree, their certified translations, immigration documentation, home study information, agency contact information, and identifying information for your child.
3. File the Petition to Register Foreign Adoption Order or Decree and prepare the Order Registering Foreign Adoption and Issuing Birth Certificate documents for judge approval.
4. File the report of adoption with the Superior Court and receive your court order.

Then, a celebration can be held at an Alaskan courthouse for the new addition to the Alaskan family — a celebration that couldn’t be done in a faraway country at the time of the initial adoption. As the average family size in Anchorage was 3.16 people per household in 2023, it’s a joy for many individuals and families to expand their families.

Work With a Skilled Anchorage International Re-Adoption Attorney

With the support of the skilled team at Otterson Law & Mediation, P.C., it is easier to navigate international re-adoption and effectively protect and grow your family. Our firm gets that international adoption can be overwhelming. Proper guidance through complex proceedings can make all the difference for growing families.

You don’t have to navigate this process alone. An experienced attorney can help ensure you remain in compliance with both Alaska and federal law, while also addressing issues that pertain to citizenship, parental rights, and the recognition of foreign adoption decrees.

If you need help with an international re-adoption, contact our firm to speak with an Anchorage international re-adoption attorney.