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| From Event: Adoption Law: Start to Finish, held December 2011.
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Program Description
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Adoption is an emotional process for all the parties involved. Are you prepared to assist and guide your clients through this highly emotional time in their lives? Whether you represent the birth parents or the adoptive parents, our experienced practitioners will update you on the latest adoption laws, help you understand various procedures and requirements and give you the background you need to handle adoption cases without unnecessary delays, ethical problems or surprises. Order today!
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Course Content
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- The Essentials of Adoption Law
- Offering the Different Adoption Options
- Procedures for Terminating Parental Rights
- Overcoming Interstate Adoption Issues
- Solving Obstacles to International Adoptions
- Following Ethical Guidelines in Adoption Law
- Practical Guide Through the Adoption Process
- What to Do if Something Goes Wrong
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Continuing Education Credits:
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Continuing Legal Education - CLE: 6.00 PA - Credit Approval Expiration 12/13/2012
* denotes specialty credits
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Agenda / Content Covered:
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- THE ESSENTIALS OF ADOPTION LAW
9:00 - 9:45, Debra M. Fox - Understanding the Definitions: Who May be Adopted
- Who May Adopt: Criteria and Qualifications
- Obtaining Adoption Assistance
- Helping Calculate Adoption Tax Credits
- Adhering to Federal Laws Affecting Adoptions
- Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
- Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
- Indian Child Welfare Act
- Howard Metzenbaum Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994
- OFFERING THE DIFFERENT ADOPTION OPTIONS
9:45 - 10:30, Deborah E. Spivack - What are Private Placement Adoptions?
- How Agency Adoptions Work
- Venue: Why it's so Important
- The Crucial Element of Consent
- Exploring Other Adoption Alternatives
- When and How to Use Independent Options
- Circumstances When it's Appropriate to Adopt an Adult
- Guidelines for Adopting Relatives
- Understanding Step Parent Adoptions
- Examining and Ensuring Foster Parent Rights
- PROCEDURES FOR TERMINATING PARENTAL RIGHTS
10:45 - 11:30, Debra M. Fox - General Requirements That Need to be Considered
- Obtaining Confirmed Consent and Surrender of Birth Parents
- Properly Dealing With Notice Requirements
- Observing Guidelines Governing Involuntary Termination
- Where Complaints May be Filed
- Issues Handled by State Common Pleas Courts
- When Default Proceedings May Move Forward
- OVERCOMING INTERSTATE ADOPTION ISSUES
11:30 - 12:00, Debra M. Fox - What is the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)?
- Dealing With Conflicts Between State Laws
- Navigating Multistate Adoption Procedures
- SOLVING OBSTACLES TO INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS
1:00 - 1:45, Deborah E. Spivack - Making Clients Aware of Risks and Realities
- Locating a Child to be Adopted: A How-to Guide
- Dealing With U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Adhering to State Laws Regarding Intercountry Adoptions
- Recognizing Legal Requirements of the Foreign Country Involved
- Crucial Steps Involving Birth Certificates and Citizenship
- Taking All the Right Steps for Finalization
- Practical Tips for Families Considering International Adoption
- FOLLOWING ETHICAL GUIDELINES IN ADOPTION LAW
1:45 - 2:45, Debra M. Fox - Identifying Conflicts of Interest
- Confidentiality in Adoption Cases
- Guidelines for Setting Fair Attorney Fees
- Observing the Rules of Professional Conduct
- PRACTICAL GUIDE THROUGH THE ADOPTION PROCESS
3:00 - 3:45, Debra M. Fox - Preparation of Pre- and Post-Placement Reports
- The Interrelated Roles of Social Worker and Attorney
- Determining Fees and Expenses
- How to Conduct a Thorough Background Check
- The Adoption Home Study: A Look Into the Reality
- Working With Birth Parents: What You Need to Do
- State and Local Services Available to All Parties Involved
- Medical Care and Insurance Coverage for Birth Mother and Child
- Responsibilities of the Guardian Ad Litem
- Unique Considerations When Adopting Special Needs Children
- WHAT TO DO IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG
3:45 - 4:30, Samuel C. Totaro Jr. - Rights of the Biological Parents vs. Adoptive Parents: Who Takes Precedence?
- Proving a Parent is Unfit in Contested Adoptions
- Tackling Third-Party Challenges
- Procedures for Dissolution of Adoption
- Withdrawal of Consent? What to do Next
- Correctly Handling an Appeal of the Adoption Decree
- Wrongful Adoption
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DEBRA M. FOX founded her law practice in 1986. Her practice consists of cases related to domestic adoption, interstate adoption, inter-country adoption, assisted reproduction, special needs adoption, contested adoption, adoption mediation, and grandparent representation. Ms. Fox is also the founder and director of Transitions Adoption Agency, Inc., a licensed Pennsylvania adoption agency. She has been a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys since 1992. Ms. Fox worked on civil rights issues related to adoption with the Women's Law Project, and the Perinatal Social Work Network. She has lectured on adoption issues at the Resolve Conference, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, the Montgomery County Bar Association, Elizabeth Blackwell Center, Choice Women's Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, and various community organizations. She previously served as a court appointed divorce master, and mediator in landlord/tenant and small claims court. Ms. Fox was a guest speaker on the subject of "transracial adoption" on WHYY's Radio Times. She has handled more than 1000 private adoption, agency adoption and interstate adoption cases. DEBORAH E. SPIVACK is an attorney who devotes her practice exclusively to adoption and family building in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Her clients include adoptive parents, biological parents, agencies and children in domestic, private, agency, step-parent, second parent, foreign re-adoption, and guardianship cases. Ms. Spivack also provides legal, policy and strategic consulting services to adoption agencies, both domestic and international. Her professional goal is to enable prospective parents to come together with children who need families, and to keep the doors to adoption open and accessible to families who desire to come together. She has worked with dozens of agencies in pursuing accreditation under the Hague Convention, and has written numerous materials to assist client agencies bring their policies, procedures and contracts into compliance with the Hague regulations. Ms. Spivack is also a published author and frequent speaker on adoption topics to diverse audiences such as adoption parents, agency staff, adoption attorneys, and judges. She has also held leadership roles in organizations that promote ethical practice and ensure that adoption policy serves the interests of children worldwide. Ms. Spivack graduated with a B.S. degree in business from Penn State University and a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Widener University School of Law in 1993, where she was a member of the law review, The Delaware Journal of Corporate Law. Following graduation, she worked as a judicial law clerk in federal bankruptcy court and, thereafter, as a corporate bankruptcy and restructuring attorney for a large firm in Wilmington, Delaware. Ms. Spivack is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. She has been working as a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys since 2008.SAMUEL C. TOTARO JR. is a partner in the Doylestown firm of Mellon Webster & Shelly, PC. Mr. Totaro received his B.S. degree from Ursinus College and his J.D. degree from the University of Memphis. He has been in practice since 1975. During his career, Mr. Totaro has been involved in more than 3500 adoptions, representing agencies, birth parents and adoptive parents. He is a member of the Bucks County Bar Association and has served as a member of its Board of Directors. Mr. Totaro has served as an advisor to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws Drafting Committee on the Uniform Adoption Act from 1989 to 1994 and was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 as an advisor to a Special White House Task Force on Adoption. He served on the Board of Directors of the National Council for Adoption, Washington, D.C. and is past president of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. He has received the Distinguished Service Award from both the National Council for Adoption and the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. In 2005, he received the United States Congressional Angel in Adoption Award.
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Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking
credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.
Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related
questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:
Phone: 866-240-1890
Email: credit@nbi-sems.com
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ACCREDITATION DETAILS:
Continuing Legal Education
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PA
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CLE:
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6.00
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Credit Approval Exp 12/13/2012
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This program has been approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board. This program may qualify for up to 6.0 hours of distance learning credit, including 5.0 hours of substantive law, practice and procedure CLE credit and 1.0 hour of ethics, professionalism or substance abuse distance learning CLE credit. No more than 4.0 hours of distance learning CLE credit may be earned during a reporting period.
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| Web: |
Order Now
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| Call: |
800.930.6182 |
| Fax: |
715.835.1405 |
| Mail: |
NBI
P.O. Box 3067
Eau Claire, WI 54702
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