adoption - A legal procedure that ends the parent-child relationship between a child and his/her natural parent(s) and creates a parent-child relationship with the parent(s) who adopt the child.
illegitimate child- A natural child born to an unmarried woman.
open adoption- The adoption process in which the birth parents and adoptive parents know each other's identities.
paternity- Fatherhood.
paternity action- A lawsuit brought to determine paternity. Paternity actions can be brought by the mother and, in many states, by the District Attorney of the county in which the mother lives.
stepparent adoption - An adoption of a parent's child by a new spouse of that parent. Generally, stepparent adoptions are much less complicated than other adoptions.
UIFSA Common - Name for the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which in many states has replaced URESA as the basis for interstate enforcement of support orders.
wrongful adoption suit- A lawsuit brought against an adoption agency (or other person who arranged an adoption) seeking money damages because the agency failed to disclose important information about the child (for example, that the child had a severe mental or emotional disability).
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