IN Canon-Mac Spring 2016 | Page 51

expenses that should be taken into consideration when adopting are travel, medical, out-of-state fees, attorney fees, adoption letter, and other legal expenses. BUSINESS DIRECTORY What steps need to be taken to adopt a stepchild? Answer: The most significant step in adopting a significant other’s birth child or children is that of obtaining consent from the other birth parent. It is a requirement to obtain this consent in order for the adoption to be formally recognized. Home visits, adoption hearings, and long waiting periods may be avoided because the adopted children are related to the birth parent. DIVORCE, ANNULMENT, PROPERTY SETTLEMENTS, ALIMONY, CHILD CUSTODY AND VISITATION AND CHILD SUPPORT Family law in Pennsylvania covers a broad spectrum of the consequences of divorce such as child custody, adoption, and paternity testing. What is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? Answer: Grounds for divorce typically fall into two categories: fault and irreconcilable differences, whereas grounds for annulments include being underage, presence of an undisso