Legal rights of birth families

Do you to learn more about your possible legal rights as either the birth mother or a member of the birth family? Stephen Ravel, who has been an adoption attorney for 30 years, shares helpful information about the legal rights of birth families.
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Legal rights of birth families

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In an independent adoption, the extended family of the birth mother or birth father have no legal rights. They don't get notice of the adoption. Their consent isn't necessary even if the birth mother is a minor. I've had adoptions where the birth mother is 13 years old. Her consent is necessary, but nobody else's. As a practical matter, if the birth - if you have a 13-year-old birth mother and her family does not want her to place the child for adoption, the practicality of it she's not gonna place the child for adoption because she's dependent upon her parents. But, legally, they have no say in the matter.

Do you to learn more about your possible legal rights as either the birth mother or a member of the birth family? Stephen Ravel, who has been an adoption attorney for 30 years, shares helpful information about the legal rights of birth families.

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Stephen Ravel

Adoption Attorney

Stephen Ravel attended UC Berkley for his undergraduate degree and Santa Clara Law School for his law degree. Stephen has been an attorney since 1973, and has been involved with adoption law since 1984. He has handled over 1,300 adoptions since the start of his career. Stephen is married and has three children. His oldest child was adopted from Brazil at birth.

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Transcription: 
In an independent adoption, the extended family of the birth mother or birth father have no legal rights. They don't get notice of the adoption. Their consent isn't necessary even if the birth mother is a minor. I've had adoptions where the birth mother is 13 years old. Her consent is necessary, but nobody else's. As a practical matter, if the birth - if you have a 13-year-old birth mother and her family does not want her to place the child for adoption, the practicality of it she's not gonna place the child for adoption because she's dependent upon her parents. But, legally, they have no say in the matter.