Legal issues following international adoption can be very complex. You may have found that there was a problem with the initial adoption, or you may be in a dispute with your spouse or partner. You may simply need advice about legacy and estate planning for your new family. Whatever your concern, it is important to take proper legal advice.
The law in this area touches on many things, including the regulations here and abroad and the welfare of your child. Solutions can be slow and complicated depending on your situation. Top quality legal advice will help you to navigate these complexities, protecting yourself and your family.
As a top family law firm, incorporating world-leading expertise in fertility, adoption and family law, Vardags can help you steer you through this complex process. Our advice can help you with any issues that have arisen during, or after, the adoption process, including advising you on adoption applications made under the Hague Convention 1993 on Protection of Children and co-operation in respect of inter-country adoption.
Bringing a child into the UK for the purposes of adoption is a criminal offence, punishable with up to 12 month’s imprisonment and/or a fine. In order to bring a child into the UK for the purposes of adoption, there are strict regulations that need to be complied with, preferably in advance of bringing the child in. It is vital to seek legal advice prior to bringing a child who you wish to adopt into the UK.
Whether the child you have adopted from abroad will be recognised as legally yours in the UK depends on various factors. For example, if you adopt a child from a country that is a signatory to the Hague Convention 1993 through a Convention Adoption, then that adoption will be recognised in all 76 Hague Convention countries. An adoption that is classed as an ‘overseas’ adoption, and recognised as a full adoption in the UK may be registered in the Adopted Children Register.
If you have an international lifestyle, being able to move around freely with your adopted child will be a high priority. Whether you have legal parental status internationally will depend on whether the adoption order you hold is recognisable in the countries you will reside in.With our international expertise we can offer you specialist legal advice as to the potential issues you may face in different jurisdictions, and how to overcome them. As many of our clients have international lifestyles, we experienced at dealing with the legal complexities arising from the application of UK law internationally.
We offer a free consultation to qualifying individuals. Please call our confidential enquiry line on 020 7404 9390. Lines are staffed 24 hours.
When you contact us a member of our client relations team will take the full details of your situation, assess whether we can assist you, and if so, determine the best team for your case.
Vardags is one of the UK’s leading divorce law firms. We specialise in complex, high net worth and international cases. The Legal 500 has said of Vardags: “The team is noted for its sheer intellect”
Vardags is among the leading family law firms in the UK. Our solicitors specialise in complex cases for high net worth individuals, including international child relocation, child abduction, and prenuptial agreements. The Legal 500 has said that "clients feel in totally safe hands" with Vardags' Children & Family lawyers.
Our reputation and privacy team, headed by top media lawyer Alex McCready, works in and out of the public eye on cases involving defamation, privacy and reputation management. We provide expert advice and representation across the full range of reputation and privacy related matters, including crisis management, emergency injunctions and actions against online and new media.
Our criminal defence team is led by top criminal defence lawyer Rob Conway. Vardags is a successful and rapidly-growing law firm with an outstanding reputation for winning cases.
Vardags is a top property law firm with expertise in complex and high-value cases. We pride ourselves on our discrete and thorough approach and premium client experience. Our team is led by the highly respected and renowned property lawyer James Bunker.
Vardags is a top law firm with a trailblazing fertility and surrogacy department. We have had success with some of the most groundbreaking cases of the last decade in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, with rulings that have changed the law. Vardags remains at the cutting edge of fertility law, pushing for further improvement of the outdated legislation in place in Britain.
Vardags’ civil litigation team is renowned for its nous and its consistent ability to deliver results.
Vardags is a top professional negligence law firm with expertise in complex and substantial claims. You may have seen our name in the press as our clients are often very high profile. Equally we settle many claims entirely out of the public eye. Our team is led by top professional negligence lawyer, Frank Ryan, who has over 30 years of experience across a range of professional negligence cases.
Vardags’ top employment team represents high net worth individuals and companies in substantial employment disputes. We are a firm with an exceptional record of representing clients in matters including unfair dismissal, workplace discrimination, and in the transfer of contracts under TUPE.
Vardags' wills and trusts team has the specific expertise to cater to the wills and trusts needs of high-net-worth and high-profile individuals. Richard Todd QC, Leading Counsel for Yasmin Prest said of Vardags: “a note to acknowledge your firm’s pivotal role in achieving such an outstanding result in the recent Supreme Court case of Petrodel v Prest”.