A couple of frequently asked questions about adoption and divorce

1) Do adopted children have any different rights from those of natural-born children? No. A parent is a parent if the parent has parental rights, regardless of when or how the parent acquired those rights. Adopted children are treated just as natural-born children are treated in the eyes of the law.

2) Do adopted children tend to have a harder time adjusting to divorce? Some people would argue that adopted children are used to change, so this change is “par for the course.” I strongly disagree, although I can vaguely see the logic of that argument. I take the opposite view as a family and divorce mediator. I think that if a child has been put through enough traumatic changes already in his or her life, why add one more hardship? I work with my clients promote stability and permanency, so they can avoid any perception of abandonment.