Family law encompasses a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, adoptions, guardianships, grandparent visitation rights, and name changes.

Adoption

We consider it a joy and honor to assist families with the adoption process. Reaching the final adoption hearing when a child is officially adopted into the forever family who loves and supports them is one of the highlights of the practice of law. We handle a broad range of adoptions including kinship, non-relative, stepparent, out-of-state placement, Native American, and non-Native American adoptions.

Guardianship

Court-ordered guardianships are often necessary when a child or an adult is in need of care or supervision, and the caregiver needs legal authority to act on the ward’s behalf. Guardianships give the caregiver the right and the duty to ensure the ward is safe and all their needs are met. Guardianships can also give the caregiver the authority to manage, with the Court’s supervision, the ward’s property, bank accounts, and income if they are of significant value.

Grandparent Visitation Rights

In certain circumstances, Oklahoma law allows grandparents to obtain an enforceable court order giving them the right to have visitation with their grandchild. These situations often arise when a grandchild’s parent has passed away; a grandchild’s parent is serving in the military and cannot exercise visitation; or the grandchild’s relationship with the parent is disrupted for some reason. Grandparent visitation allows the grandchild to maintain a strong and continuous bond with their grandparent, enforceable by court order, which cannot be disrupted on the whim of the child’s custodial parent or caregiver.

Name Change

A legal name change allows a person to obtain a court order officially changing their name or their child’s name for future use on all documents including, but not limited to, driver’s licenses, social security cards, and birth certificates. Name changes are obtained for many reasons including, but not limited to, wanting to go back to a maiden name after a divorce if the maiden name was not restored in the divorce decree; wanting to change a child’s last name to reflect that of their primary caregiver when one parent is estranged and adoption is not appropriate for the situation; or correcting a mistake in spelling on an original birth certificate.