Richmond City County, VA Adoption Lawyers


Robert W. Partin

Family Law, Medical Malpractice, Construction, Professional Malpractice
Status:  In Good Standing           

Timothy G. Moore

Real Estate, Estate Planning, Family Law, Corporate
Status:  In Good Standing           

Fred J. Bernhardt

Family Law, Elder Law, Business Organization, Reorganization
Status:  In Good Standing           

Matthew Adams

Government, Family Law, Divorce, Personal Injury
Status:  In Good Standing           

Michael La Fratta

Traffic, Divorce, Juvenile Law, DUI-DWI
Status:  In Good Standing           

Meredith Johnson

Juvenile Law, Litigation, Family Law, Gay & Lesbian Rights
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  27 Years

Gail Marie Deady

Bankruptcy, Family Law, Litigation
Status:  In Good Standing           

Meagan Anne Mihalko

Criminal, Divorce & Family Law, Immigration, Car Accident
Status:  In Good Standing           

Sarah Warren Smith Beverly

Health Care Other, Business & Trade, Family Law
Status:  In Good Standing           

Brian Jeffrey Iwashyna

Real Estate, Family Law
Status:  In Good Standing           

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Free Help: Use This Form or Call 800-943-8690

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Easily find Virginia Adoption Lawyers and Virginia Adoption Law Firms for your location. Narrow your Adoption attorney search for Virginia by major city or a specific Virginia city using the city list. Or search for Virginia Adoption attorneys by county. For more attorneys, search all Divorce & Family Law areas including Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce and Family Law attorneys.

LEGAL TERMS

GUARDIANSHIP

A legal relationship created by a court between a guardian and his ward--either a minor child or an incapacitated adult. The guardian has a legal right and duty... (more...)
A legal relationship created by a court between a guardian and his ward--either a minor child or an incapacitated adult. The guardian has a legal right and duty to care for the ward. This may involve making personal decisions on his or her behalf, managing property or both. Guardianships of incapacitated adults are more typically called conservatorships .

CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION

Information exchanged between two people who (1) have a relationship in which private communications are protected by law, and (2) intend that the information b... (more...)
Information exchanged between two people who (1) have a relationship in which private communications are protected by law, and (2) intend that the information be kept in confidence. The law recognizes certain parties whose communications will be considered confidential and protected, including spouses, doctor and patient, attorney and client, and priest and confessor. Communications between these individuals cannot be disclosed in court unless the protected party waives that protection. The intention that the communication be confidential is critical. For example, if an attorney and his client are discussing a matter in the presence of an unnecessary third party -- for example, in an elevator with other people present -- the discussion will not be considered confidential and may be admitted at trial. Also known as privileged communication.

MARITAL PROPERTY

Most of the property accumulated by spouses during a marriage, called community property in some states. States differ as to exactly what is included in marital... (more...)
Most of the property accumulated by spouses during a marriage, called community property in some states. States differ as to exactly what is included in marital property; some states include all property and earnings dring the marriage, while others exclude gifts and inheritances.

MARRIAGE

The legal union of two people. Once a couple is married, their rights and responsibilities toward one another concerning property and support are defined by the... (more...)
The legal union of two people. Once a couple is married, their rights and responsibilities toward one another concerning property and support are defined by the laws of the state in which they live. A marriage can only be terminated by a court granting a divorce or annulment. Compare common law marriage.

COLLUSION

Secret cooperation between two people in order to fool another. Collusion was often practiced by couples before no-fault divorce in order to make up a grounds f... (more...)
Secret cooperation between two people in order to fool another. Collusion was often practiced by couples before no-fault divorce in order to make up a grounds for divorce (such as adultery). By fabricating a permitted reason for divorce, colluding couples hoped to trick a judge into granting their freedom from the marriage. But a spouse accused of wrongdoing who later changed his or her mind about the divorce could expose the collusion to prevent the divorce from going through.

FOREIGN DIVORCE

A divorce obtained in a different state or country from the place where one spouse resides at the time of the divorce. As a general rule, foreign divorces are r... (more...)
A divorce obtained in a different state or country from the place where one spouse resides at the time of the divorce. As a general rule, foreign divorces are recognized as valid if the spouse requesting the divorce became a resident of the state or country granting the divorce, and if both parties consented to the jurisdiction of the foreign court. A foreign divorce obtained by one person without the consent of the other is normally not valid, unless the nonconsenting spouse later acts as if the foreign divorce were valid, for example, by remarrying.

GUARDIAN OF THE ESTATE

Someone appointed by a court to care for the property of a minor child that is not supervised by an adult under some other legal method, such as a trust. A guar... (more...)
Someone appointed by a court to care for the property of a minor child that is not supervised by an adult under some other legal method, such as a trust. A guardian of the estate may also be called a 'property guardian' or 'financial guardian.' See also guardian.

CUSTODY (OF A CHILD)

The legal authority to make decisions affecting a child's interests (legal custody) and the responsibility of taking care of the child (physical custody). When ... (more...)
The legal authority to make decisions affecting a child's interests (legal custody) and the responsibility of taking care of the child (physical custody). When parents separate or divorce, one of the hardest decisions they have to make is which parent will have custody. The most common arrangement is for one parent to have custody (both physical and legal) while the other parent has a right of visitation. But it is not uncommon for the parents to share legal custody, even though one parent has physical custody. The most uncommon arrangement is for the parents to share both legal and physical custody.

CRUELTY

Any act of inflicting unnecessary emotional or physical pain. Cruelty or mental cruelty is the most frequently used fault ground for divorce because as a practi... (more...)
Any act of inflicting unnecessary emotional or physical pain. Cruelty or mental cruelty is the most frequently used fault ground for divorce because as a practical matter, courts will accept minor wrongs or disagreements as sufficient evidence of cruelty to justify the divorce.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

Gooch v. Harris

... KELSEY, Judge. Frances R. Gooch appeals an order of the circuit court approving, over her objection, the adoption of her son by Doris and James Harris. ... See Appellant's Br. at 1. We hold the circuit court did not err as 96 Gooch claims and thus affirm its final adoption order. I. ...

Todd v. Copeland

... Appellant, Leslie Todd, is challenging the trial court's order terminating her parental rights and allowing the adoption of her child without her consent, pursuant to Code §§ 63.2-1202(H), -1203, and -1205. ... 2. The Biological Parent's Fundamental Rights in the Adoption Context. ...

Copeland v. Todd

... appellee. Amicus Curiae: The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys; Colleen Marea Quinn (Locke Partin DeBoer & Quinn, on brief), Richmond, in support of appellant. ... C. The "Best Interests of the Child" in Adoption Cases. Alternatively ...