There are four basic types of adoption in Indiana and throughout the United States.

Not every type of adoption works for every family, and it’s important to know and understand the differences in order to do what’s best for your family and the children you welcome into it.

In addition to how they can impact you and your growing family, the different types also have different requirements, costs and timing.

The adoption process can vary based on the type. However, most adoptive parents can meet all the state’s requirements in six to 12 months for a public agency adoption.

Due to the increased stipulations and higher activity of both parties in a private agency adoption, they can potentially take longer.

Guardianship is a lesser-known alternative to adoption in the state of Indiana.

The state can authorize a guardian to care for minor children.

With the help of an Indiana adoption lawyer, you can file a Petition for Guardianship with a court with probate jurisdiction. Your lawyer will also help you through the process of a court hearing, at which point the guardian will hopefully be appointed.

Legally speaking, this is a less complicated alternative to adoption, making it a more straightforward and smoother process to bring your family together.