Dawn Coppock Blog
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News, Updates, and Resources for Legal Professionals and those who follow adoption law. Dawn Coppock is Tennessee's leading adoption attorney. She represents foster parents, adoptive parents, birth parents, and relatives in legal adoption cases.
Dawn Coppock Blog
5M ago
At 6 months, the foster child’s relationship with foster parents becomes a “significant relationship,” so it has weight when compared with other nonparental, pre-removal relationships.
At 9 months, the foster parents don’t just get notice of hearings regarding the child but an increased right to participate regarding the child’s best interest.
At 12 months, foster parents get preference to adopt should the child become available for adoption.
At 6 months the foster child’s relationship
with foster parents becomes a “significant relationship,” so it has weight when compared with other nonp ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
6M ago
Adoption assistance is a program to assist adoptive families of special needs children. The program is state-administered with the majority of funding from the federal government and a state contribution as well. The benefits are usually a monthly stipend and health insurance, which may be secondary where private insurance is available. There are some technical requirements for adoption assistance concerning the exact needs of the child and the financial situation of the birth parent at removal. However, there is no “means test” for the adoptive parents, which means the adoptive parents ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
7M ago
Question: I understand that the waiting period for adoption, the time the child must live with the prospective adoptive family before the adoption can be finalized, has been reduced from 6 months to 3 months, correct?
Answer: Not exactly. The waiting period is still 6 months but the judge in the case CAN, but does not have to, reduce the wait to 3 months. Judges are expected to be most open to reducing the waiting period in newborn adoptions. When older children are new in a home at least 6 months for the child and family to adjust to one another and for problems to arise and be resolved is u ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
1y ago
Dawn Coppock Blog
1y ago
This is not a debated or murky point of Tennessee law. You just can. I do 2 or 3 adult adoptions a year and I have for decades.
See Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-1-117(j).
(1) When the person sought to be adopted is eighteen (18) years of age or older, only the sworn, written consent of the person sought to be adopted shall be required and no order of reference or any home studies need be issued.
Chapter 17 of Coppock on Tennessee Adoption Law, 7th Ed. is called, guess what? “Adult Adoptions.”
The law creates a legal relationship because the people have an existing emotional p ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
1y ago
Effective July 1, 2023
Big addition to foster parent’s right to participate in hearings.
T.C.A. § 37-2-415 (a)(17) – (Public Chapter 263)
For some time, the court has been required to promptly notify foster parents of all court hearings regarding their foster child. They are permitted to attend “at the discretion of the court” which means unless the judge doesn’t want them to.
The new provision says, “A foster parent who has served as the physical placement of the child for a period of nine (9) months or more shall be permitted to appear and actively participate in any permanency hearing ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
1y ago
Public outcry is needed for Tennessee to fix the Department of Children’s Services – Opinion – By Dawn Coppock – Published by The Tennessean, The Knoxville News Sentinel & The Commerical Appeal – January 4, 2023 ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
2y ago
Adoption Law School Summer Camp At The Beach
April 12-15, 2023
Registration is Open!
Become a better adoption lawyer,
Strengthen your relationships with colleagues,
and
Spend your afternoons on the beach.
I’ve kept what you love,
The beautiful Gulf Coast,
Comprehensive, up to the minute legal curriculum,
100% of your annual CLE,
Dawn’s practical, efficient, and irreverent presentation style,
Short days, and plenty of free time,
Yoga on the beach, and
The best CLE snacks anywhere.
And enhanced it.
Materials will include a complete set of updated adoption forms, and checklists! You will ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
3y ago
Read it here:
Happier Childhoods and Better Best Interest Factors – TBA Journal – July / August 2021 ..read more
Dawn Coppock Blog
3y ago
On April 22, 2021, the Governor signed HB200/SB205, new factors for judges to consider to determine the best interest of a child in a termination of a parental rights case. My detailed analysis is HERE ..read more