AZ Specific

Family Law

New Release!

Arizona Adoption Law: Start to Finish

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Arizona CLE Approved 6 Total
OnDemand
5 hours 53 minutes
Kristy Blackwell
Steven Everts
Tiffany Hill
Cory Stuart
Heather Strickland
Iliana Ozuna
With Kristy B. Blackwell from Stuart Blackwell, The Family Planning Law Firm + 5 others
Recorded May 14, 2026.
Product ID 101794

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Overview

Ensure a Smooth Path to a New Life

Adoption is an emotional process for all the parties involved. Are you prepared to assist and guide your clients through this highly emotional time in their lives? Whether you represent the birth parents or the adoptive parents, our faculty will update you on the latest adoption laws, help you understand various procedures and requirements, and give you the background you need to handle adoption cases without unnecessary delays, ethical problems, or surprises. Register today!

  • Get all the adoption assistance available for your clients, including tax credits.
  • Advise wisely on the differences between private placements and agency adoptions.
  • Comply with the notice and consent requirements for terminating parental rights.
  • Ensure clients are adhering to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
  • Know your role in the interplay between social worker and guardians ad litem during the adoption process.
  • Prepare for problems such as third-party challenges and dissolution of adoption.
  • Advise clients knowledgeably with an understanding of current adoption law.
  • Tackle sensitive ethical issues and other problems that are unique in adoption situations.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. The Essentials of Adoption Law
  2. Offering the Different Adoption Options
  3. Practical Guide Through the Adoption Process
  4. Procedures for Terminating Parental Rights
  5. Resolving Interstate Adoption Issues
  6. Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Termination of Parental Rights, and Adoption
  7. Following Ethical Guidelines in Adoption Law
  8. What to Do if Something Goes Wrong

Related Topics

Product ID 101794

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Arizona CLE Approved 6 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. The Essentials of Adoption Law

    1. Understanding the Definitions: Who May be Adopted
    2. Who May Adopt: Criteria and Qualifications
    3. Obtaining Adoption Assistance
    4. Helping Calculate Adoption Tax Credits
    5. Adhering to Federal Laws Affecting Adoptions

  2. Offering the Different Adoption Options

    1. What Are Private Placement Adoptions?
    2. How Agency Adoptions Work
    3. Venue: Why It's so Important
    4. The Crucial Element of Consent
    5. When and How to Use Independent Options
    6. Circumstances for When it's Appropriate to Adopt an Adult
    7. Guidelines for Adopting Relatives
    8. Understanding Stepparent Adoptions
    9. Examining and Ensuring Foster Parent Rights

  3. Practical Guide Through the Adoption Process

    1. Preparation of Pre- and Post-Placement Reports
    2. The Interrelated Roles of Social Worker and Attorney
    3. Determining Fees and Expenses
    4. How to Conduct a Thorough Background Check
    5. The Adoption Home Study: A Look into the Reality
    6. Working with Birth Parents: What You Need to Do
    7. State and Local Services Available to All Parties Involved
    8. Medical Care and Insurance Coverage for Birth Mother and Child
    9. Responsibilities of the Guardian Ad Litem
    10. Open Adoption and Determining the Degree of Contact
    11. Unique Considerations When Adopting Children With Disabilities

  4. Procedures for Terminating Parental Rights

    1. General Requirements That Need to be Considered
    2. Obtaining Confirmed Consent and Surrender of Birth Parents
    3. Properly Dealing with Notice Requirements
    4. Observing Guidelines Governing Involuntary Termination
    5. Where Complaints May be Filed
    6. Issues Handled by State Common Pleas Courts
    7. When Default Proceedings May Move Forward

  5. Resolving Interstate Adoption Issues

    1. What is the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)?
    2. Dealing with Conflicts Between State Laws
    3. Navigating Multistate Adoption Procedures

  6. Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Termination of Parental Rights, and Adoption

  7. Following Ethical Guidelines in Adoption Law

    1. Identifying Conflicts of Interest
    2. Confidentiality in Adoption Cases
    3. Guidelines for Setting Fair Attorney Fees
    4. Observing the Rules of Professional Conduct

  8. What to Do if Something Goes Wrong

    1. Rights of the Biological Parents vs. Adoptive Parents: Who Takes Precedence?
    2. Proving a Parent is Unfit in Contested Adoptions
    3. Tackling Third-Party Challenges
    4. Procedures for Dissolution of Adoption
    5. Withdrawal of Consent? What to do Next
    6. Correctly Handling an Appeal of the Adoption Decree

Who Should Attend

This basic-to-intermediate level online seminar is designed for professionals who want to learn more about adoption laws and proceedings. Those who should attend include:

  • Attorneys
  • Paralegals
  • Adoption Agency Employees
  • Social Workers
  • Counselors

Speakers

Kristy B Blackwell
Kristy B.
Blackwell
Stuart Blackwell, The Family Planning Law Firm
Steven H Everts
Steven H.
Everts
Udall Shumway
Tiffany D Hill
Tiffany D.
Hill
Pidgeon & Hill P.C.
Cory A Stuart
Cory A.
Stuart
Stuart & Blackwell
Heather M Strickland
Heather M.
Strickland
MyersStrickland, PLLC
Iliana Ozuna
Iliana
Ozuna
MyersStrickland, PLLC
Speaker bio
Kristy B Blackwell

Kristy B. Blackwell

Stuart Blackwell, The Family Planning Law Firm
Kristy Blackwell

is a co-founder of Stuart Blackwell, The Family Planning Law Firm. She focuses on adoption, foster parent and dependency litigation, guardianships, confirmatory adoptions, adult adoptions, and surrogacy. Ms. Blackwell is an active member of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, which is dedicated to the promotion and development of highly competent, ethical practices in adoption and children's law. She served as president for the Arizona Adoption Coalition, a statewide non-profit group of adoption agencies and professionals dedicated to improving adoption services and promoting adoption from 2019-2022. Ms. Blackwell has spoken throughout Arizona on adoption and guardianship over her professional career. She earned her B.A. degree from Portland State University and her J.D. degree from Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

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Speaker bio
Steven H Everts

Steven H. Everts

Udall Shumway
Steven Everts

is an equity partner with Udall Shumway and is a certified specialist in family law. He earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, from the University of Utah and his J.D. degree from the University of Utah College of Law. Mr. Everts is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, board-certified advocate in family trial law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, judge pro-tem Maricopa County Superior Court, and member of the State Bar of Arizona and Utah State Bar. He is admitted to practice in Arizona state and federal courts, Utah state and federal courts and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Speaker bio
Tiffany D Hill

Tiffany D. Hill

Pidgeon & Hill P.C.
Tiffany Hill

is a partner with Pidgeon & Hill P.C., where she represents families in adoptions of foster children, private adoption, step parent and relative adoptions, interstate placements, and agency placements. Ms. Hill is admitted to practice in Arizona. She is a founding board member of the Maricopa County National Adoption Day Foundation (currently serving as President), Maricopa County Bar Association Juvenile Division and the Arizona Women Lawyers Association. She is a fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys.

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Speaker bio
Cory A Stuart

Cory A. Stuart

Stuart & Blackwell
Cory Stuart

is a co-founder of Stuart & Blackwell, where they focus on adoption, adoption litigation, foster parent and dependency litigation, guardianships, estate planning, and family law and related litigation. Mr. Stuart is an active member of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys., which is dedicated to the promotion and development of highly competent, ethical practices in adoption and children's law. He is also a member of the Arizona Adoption Coalition, a statewide non-profit group of adoption agencies and professionals dedicated to improving adoption services and promoting adoption. Mr. Stuart earned his bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and his J.D. degree from Syracuse Law School.

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Speaker bio
Heather M Strickland

Heather M. Strickland

MyersStrickland, PLLC
Heather Strickland

is the owner of MyersStrickland, PLLC. A fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, she practices adoption, assisted reproductive technology and family law. Ms. Strickland represents expectant parents and prospective adoptive parents through the adoption process with compassion and caring while adhering to the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. In the ART's area, she helps couples and individuals build their families through egg, sperm and embryo donation agreements, gestational carrier matters and pre-birth or parentage orders. Ms. Strickland has extensive litigation experience including contested adoptions, maternity/paternity issues, termination of parental rights, divorce, child custody, and child support. She is honored to be recognized as a 2017 Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) for her dedication to positive child welfare practices. Ms. Strickland is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, Pima County Bar Association, Arizona Women Lawyers Association, Military Spouse JD Network, and American Society for Reproductive Medicine. She earned her B.A. degree from Smith College and her J.D. degree from The University of Arizona James E. Rutgers College of Law.

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Speaker bio
Iliana Ozuna

Iliana Ozuna

MyersStrickland, PLLC
Iliana Ozuna

was born and raised in Tucson. She graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law with a focus on family and juvenile law. Ms. Ozuna started her legal career advocating for children and families involved in dependency, severance, and custody disputes. She continues to advocate for family and friends who desire to protect and establish permanency for their loved ones through the dependency and termination process. Ms. Ozuna also helps clients find peace of mind through thoughtful estate planning. She chose this path because she believes that each case is unique and everyone deserves an advocate that truly listens.

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Yes, the more people you bring from your organization, the more you save. After the first registration, each additional attendee receives a special discount off of their total tuition.
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