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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
- The Essentials of Adoption Law
- Offering the Different Adoption Options
- Practical Guide Through the Adoption Process
- Procedures for Terminating Parental Rights
- Resolving Interstate Adoption Issues
- Following Ethical Guidelines in Adoption Law
- What to Do if Something Goes Wrong
Credit Details
Credits Available
There is no credit available on this course.
Select Jurisdiction
Agenda
-
The Essentials of Adoption Law
- Understanding the Definitions: Who May be Adopted
- Who May Adopt: Criteria and Qualifications
- Obtaining Adoption Assistance
- Helping Calculate Adoption Tax Credits
- Adhering to Federal Laws Affecting Adoptions
-
Offering the Different Adoption Options
- What Are Private Placement Adoptions?
- How Agency Adoptions Work
- Venue: Why It's so Important
- The Crucial Element of Consent
- When and How to Use Independent Options
- Circumstances for When it's Appropriate to Adopt an Adult
- Guidelines for Adopting Relatives
- Understanding Stepparent Adoptions
- Examining and Ensuring Foster Parent Rights
-
Practical Guide Through the Adoption Process
- Preparation of Pre- and Post-Placement Reports
- The Interrelated Roles of Social Worker and Attorney
- Determining Fees and Expenses
- How to Conduct a Thorough Background Check
- The Adoption Home Study: A Look into the Reality
- Working with Birth Parents: What You Need to Do
- State and Local Services Available to All Parties Involved
- Medical Care and Insurance Coverage for Birth Mother and Child
- Responsibilities of the Guardian Ad Litem
- Open Adoption and Determining the Degree of Contact
- Unique Considerations When Adopting Children With Disabilities
-
Procedures for Terminating Parental Rights
- General Requirements That Need to be Considered
- Obtaining Confirmed Consent and Surrender of Birth Parents
- Properly Dealing with Notice Requirements
- Observing Guidelines Governing Involuntary Termination
- Where Complaints May be Filed
- Issues Handled by State Common Pleas Courts
- When Default Proceedings May Move Forward
-
Resolving Interstate Adoption Issues
- What is the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)?
- Dealing with Conflicts Between State Laws
- Navigating Multistate Adoption Procedures
-
Following Ethical Guidelines in Adoption Law
- Identifying Conflicts of Interest
- Confidentiality in Adoption Cases
- Guidelines for Setting Fair Attorney Fees
- Observing the Rules of Professional Conduct
-
What to Do if Something Goes Wrong
- Rights of the Biological Parents vs. Adoptive Parents: Who Takes Precedence?
- Proving a Parent is Unfit in Contested Adoptions
- Tackling Third-Party Challenges
- Procedures for Dissolution of Adoption
- Withdrawal of Consent? What to do Next
- 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
Speaker bio
Andrea L. Ciobanu
is the managing attorney at Ciobanu Law, P.C., in Indianapolis, Indiana. She represents clients throughout Indiana in civil litigation matters, including commercial and business, defamation, family and domestic relations, protective orders, civil rights and ADA compliance, as well as appellate matters. A seasoned litigator, Ms. Ciobanu has argued before the Southern and Northern districts of Indiana Federal courts, Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Supreme Court, and Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a trained registered civil, domestic and elder mediator, guardian ad litem, and parenting coordinator. Ms. Ciobanu is also a trained collaborative law professional. She teaches introductory law classes and legal ethics courses for undergraduates at Indiana University, Purdue University Indianapolis. Ms. Ciobanu earned her B.A. and M.P.A. degrees, both summa cum laude, from Indiana University; and her J.D. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
Speaker bio
Katherine Meger Kelsey
is the chief legal counsel, director of law center with Kids Voice Indiana. She has presented at numerous conferences on evidentiary issues on CHINS cases, social media and its effect on family law and children, contested adoptions, ethical issues in CHINS and family law cases, guardianship and third party custody law, paternity law, and dissolution law. Ms. Meger Kelsey has assisted in training numerous new guardians ad litem. She has also written papers and summaries that are part of the Kids Voice educational website, and is the co-author of the 2014 Cumulative Supplement to the CHINS Deskbook 2001. Ms. Meger Kelsey earned her undergraduate degree from Canisius College and her J.D. degree, cum laude, from Indiana University Maurer School of Law at Bloomington.
Speaker bio
Hon. Michael A. Fish
is the former owner of Michael A. Fish, Attorney at Law, where he practiced bankruptcy and general practice law. He is now a Judge at Porter Superior Court #1, a general jurisdiction court located in Valparaiso, Indiana. Mr. Fish earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana State University and his J.D. degree from Valparaiso University School of Law. He is a member of the Indiana Judge's Association, Indiana State Bar Association, and Porter County Bar Association. Also Colonel Michael Fish, he is a member of the Indiana Army National Guard since 1989. He currently serves as the staff judge advocate of the 38th Infantry Division in Indianapolis. Mr. Fish previously deployed to Afghanistan, the Indo- Pacific, and Kuwait. He is admitted to practice in Indiana and before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Northern District of Indiana.
Speaker bio
Geoffrey G. Giorgi
is an attorney at Giorgi & Bebekoski, LLC, in Merrillville, Indiana, and was admitted to practice in 1992, joining a general practice firm with his family, where he has concentrated his own practice in civil litigation matters, concentrating primarily on injury cases of all types. In addition, his office represents clients in business, real estate, probate and construction litigation matters. Mr. Giorgi served as an adjunct professor at Valparaiso University, teaching intellectual property law and a curriculum of topics in the Communication Law Department. He presently serves on the state of Indiana Kids First Trust Board of Directors, is a long standing member of the Board of Law Examiners for the state of Indiana, and is a JTIP certified national trainer and a delegate to the statewide JDAI program. He earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Miami University; and his J.D. degree from Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, where he was graduated with Order of Barristers distinction.
Speaker bio
Dana Eberle
is an attorney at Church, Langdon, Lopp, Banet Law, where she oversees the family law practice area. She earned her bachelor's degree from Indiana University Bloomington and her J.D. degree from University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. Ms. Eberle-Peay is a member of Indiana State Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, and Floyd County Bar Association, and is also a Certified Family Law mediator in Indiana. She is chair of the Center's Southern Indiana Partnership Council. Ms. Eberle-Peay is licensed in Indiana and Kentucky.
Speaker bio
Stephanie E. Chey-Sluss
is employed at Kids Voice Indiana as an attorney for the Children's Law Center of Indiana. At Kids Voice, she litigates, mediates, researches, trains, and is a guardian ad litem and parenting coordinator. Ms. Chey-Sluss has worked as a family case manager, attorney, and supervising attorney with the Department of Child Services. She has worked as a mediator for child in need of services and involuntary termination of parental rights matters. Ms. Chey-Sluss earned her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Indiana University, Bloomington; and her J.D. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where she is an adjunct instructor for the Child Advocacy Law Clinic.
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