Adoption & Guardianship
Adoption and guardianship are among the most significant legal actions a family can take. Adoption permanently and legally creates a parent-child relationship. Guardianship gives a responsible adult the legal authority to care for a minor or an incapacitated adult who needs protection. Both require court approval and careful preparation. I've handled these matters throughout Texas for 18 years.
If you have a court date coming, call now — (817) 382-8333.
Adoption
Texas law recognizes several types of adoption I handle in this practice:
Stepparent adoption is one of the most common. If you've raised a child as your own and are married to (or were married to) the child's legal parent, stepparent adoption makes that relationship permanent and legally recognized. It typically requires either the other biological parent's consent or termination of their parental rights — which is a significant legal step with specific requirements. Understanding those requirements before you start is exactly what the Plan of Action is for.
Relative adoption happens when a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative steps in to raise a child — often after the birth parents are unable or unavailable to do so. The procedural path depends on whether parental rights are already terminated or must be addressed as part of the proceeding.
Adult adoption is less common but equally significant — formalizing a parent-child relationship that developed later in life, for inheritance, family history, or simply to make official what was already true in every meaningful sense.
Every adoption goes through the Texas courts, and the details of each case determine how the process flows. The Plan of Action maps that process for your specific situation before you commit to anything.
Guardianship
Guardianship gives a court-appointed guardian the legal authority to make decisions for a person — called the ward — who cannot make or communicate responsible decisions about their own welfare or property. Texas recognizes two primary contexts:
Guardianship of a minor is often needed when both parents are deceased, incapacitated, or have had their parental rights terminated, and a grandparent, relative, or other trusted adult needs formal legal authority to act on the child's behalf — enrolling the child in school, consenting to medical care, managing the child's finances. Guardianship gives that authority and accountability through the courts.
Guardianship of an incapacitated adult arises when an adult — due to age, illness, injury, or disability — is no longer able to manage their own personal decisions or financial affairs. Texas courts take this seriously because guardianship limits the ward's legal rights; the process includes safeguards designed to make sure guardianship is necessary and that the guardian is appropriate.
If you're considering guardianship, the Plan of Action is the right starting point — it identifies whether guardianship is the right tool for your situation, whether there are alternatives worth considering, and what the filing process involves.
The first step
Adoption and guardianship have procedural requirements that vary significantly depending on the type of proceeding and the specific facts. The Plan of Action maps the right path for your situation — including what consents or terminations are needed, what the court process looks like, and what it will cost before anything is filed.
After that, it's pay-as-you-go — you always know the price before the work begins. No retainer to exhaust, no surprise invoices, no hourly meter.
Generally yes — a stepparent adoption requires either the other biological parent's written consent or a court order terminating their parental rights. Voluntary relinquishment is one path; involuntary termination based on abandonment, failure to support, or other specific grounds is another. The Plan of Action will evaluate which path applies in your situation and what the process involves.
Adoption permanently terminates the birth parents' legal rights and creates a new, permanent parent-child relationship. Guardianship is an ongoing court supervision arrangement — the guardian has authority to act for the ward, but the underlying legal relationships aren't permanently altered the same way, and the court retains oversight. For a child, adoption is generally more permanent and comprehensive; guardianship may be appropriate where adoption isn't possible or isn't the right fit.
Sometimes — guardianship of a minor can be established without terminating parental rights in certain circumstances, though the specifics depend heavily on the facts and what the parents are willing to agree to. This is exactly the kind of situation where a Plan of Action is valuable: the right structure depends on your family's specific situation, and getting it wrong can create problems later.
It depends on the type and complexity of the proceeding. An uncontested stepparent adoption where consent is already in place can move relatively quickly. A proceeding that involves terminating parental rights, a contested hearing, or the background investigation required for guardianship will take longer. The Plan of Action will include a realistic timeline for your specific situation.
The $500 Case Review & Plan of Action maps the right process for your situation — adoption or guardianship — before you commit a dollar more.
If you have a court date coming, call now — (817) 382-8333.