Adoption is one of the most meaningful legal journeys a family can take. Attorney Lynda Landers brings 29 years of Texas family law experience to guide you through every step — with clarity, compassion, and careful attention to your family's story.
Texas law provides several pathways to adoption, each with its own requirements and process. Understanding which type applies to your family is the first step.
The most common adoption in Texas. A stepparent formally adopts their spouse's child, creating full legal parentage. May require termination of the other biological parent's rights.
Learn about stepparent adoptionPrivate adoptions involve a birth parent choosing an adoptive family directly or through an adoption agency. Includes home study, consent requirements, and court finalization.
Learn about private adoptionWhen a grandparent or other relative steps in to adopt a child, Texas law recognizes the kinship bond. The process involves standing requirements and, often, termination of parental rights.
Learn about relative adoptionTexas allows adults to be adopted with mutual consent. Often pursued for inheritance planning, emotional recognition, or formalizing a long-standing parental relationship.
Learn about adult adoptionEvery adoption is unique, but the legal path follows a clear sequence. Here is what most Texas adoption cases involve from start to finish.
Meet with Lynda Landers to discuss your family's situation, identify which type of adoption applies, and understand the realistic timeline and requirements for your case. This is where your journey begins.
Most adoptions — except adult adoptions and often stepparent adoptions — require a home study conducted by a licensed child-placing agency or social worker. The study evaluates your home environment, background, and parenting capacity.
Before an adoption can be finalized, the existing parental rights of any parent not participating in the adoption must be addressed — either through voluntary relinquishment or, in contested cases, court-ordered termination based on statutory grounds.
Once the court file is complete, you will appear before a judge for the adoption hearing. The judge reviews the evidence, asks questions, and if satisfied, signs the Decree of Adoption — the legal order creating the parent-child relationship.
After the decree is signed, you can apply to Texas Vital Statistics for a new birth certificate reflecting the child's adoptive name and parents. The adoption is complete, permanent, and celebrated.
In most adoptions — unless the other biological parent has already died or the child was never legally established with a second parent — the court must legally end the existing parental rights before the adoption can proceed. This is called termination of parental rights.
Termination can be voluntary (the parent relinquishes rights by signing a formal affidavit) or involuntary (the court terminates rights based on statutory grounds under Texas Family Code § 161.001, such as abandonment, endangerment, or failure to support).
This step is permanent and irreversible. If your adoption will require contested termination, it is one of the most legally significant proceedings in the entire process — and one where experienced legal representation matters greatly.
Lynda Landers represents adoptive families throughout the Collin County area from her McKinney office.
Every adoption starts with a conversation. Contact Lynda Landers to discuss your situation and learn what the process looks like for your family.
Schedule a Consultation Call (972) 529-5707