What is an independent adoption?

An independent adoption is a type of adoption which does not involve the use of an adoption agency. In these cases, the biological parents and the adoptive parents may have worked out the adoption privately or via another party. In Virginia, independent adoptions are allowed, although there are additional requirements that must be met. These include the completion of an adoption home study and an adoption agreement, both of which must be filed with the court. In addition, the prospective adoptive parents must complete pre-adoption counseling and wait a period of six months to ensure that the biological parents have had sufficient time to consider the adoption. After these steps have been completed, the adoptive parents may then proceed to finalize the adoption in the court.

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