Adoption + Surrogacy Attorneys in Illinois

Building a family is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning. Whether you are weighing domestic infant adoption legal services, considering surrogacy, or securing your parental rights, you are working toward a major life transition. Because Illinois law is complex, you need a legal plan that establishes your family’s protection from the start.

Illinois offers some of the most favorable laws in the country for family-building, but the statutory requirements are precise. From the timelines of the Illinois Adoption Act to the standards of the surrogacy legal services, your progress depends on correct legal execution.

As the nation’s most experienced firm dedicated exclusively to family-building, we manage the legal details so you can stay focused on preparing for your child’s arrival.

How Do Illinois Laws Affect Your Journey?

Family-building in Illinois requires an attorney who understands the specific nuances of the state’s 24 judicial circuits. While statutes are statewide, “local rules” vary between regions. At Foster + Bloom, we provide representation across all Illinois jurisdictions, managing the unique filing requirements of individual Circuit Clerks in Cook County and throughout the surrounding regions.

Foster + Bloom’s national presence allows us to assist families navigating interstate processes. Whether you are managing an adoption under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) or working with a surrogate in another state, we align Illinois statutes with the laws of other jurisdictions to keep your process moving forward.

Our team prioritizes strict statutory compliance to prevent procedural delays or court remands that can affect a family-building schedule. By meeting local venue requirements and jurisdictional standards, we provide the legal groundwork necessary for your family’s protection. This approach ensures legal details are resolved, regardless of where your journey begins or ends.

Meet Your Illinois Attorney

Joanna Beck Wilkinson,
Founding Member

Why I Practice in Family Law: "I love children and consider it a privilege to help people build their families. I am also a huge geek and enjoy the study of law."

Contact JoannaView Joanna's Profile >

My Practice Areas+

• Foster Care Adoption
• Stepparent + Second Parent Adoption
• Domestic Infant Adoption
• Surrogacy
• International Surrogacy
• ART Law + Gamete Donor Agreements
• Adult Adoption
• Relative Adoption
• Parentage Orders

What Family-Building Legal Services Do We Provide in Illinois?

Foster + Bloom creates legal plans tailored to your specific situation in Illinois, recognizing that every family is different.

• Domestic Infant Adoption: This process involves home study approval, the termination of parental rights, and a 72-hour irrevocable consent window. Finalizing these steps before your due date secures your child’s placement and prevents last-minute legal hurdles.
• Foster Care Adoption: This transition requires navigating foster care adoption legal services and petitioning the court for a final decree of adoption. We guide you from foster parent to permanent legal parent, ensuring access to all available state subsidies and protections.
• Stepparent & Second-Parent Adoption: This legal path allows unmarried or LGBTQ+ partners to secure stepparent second-parent adoption legal services in Illinois. We manage the process to ensure your parental status is recognized both locally and across state lines.
• Surrogacy Agreements & Contracts: These mandatory documents allow intended parents to be recognized as legal parents at birth under the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act. We draft and review contracts to ensure they meet every statutory requirement.
• Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Law: These agreements serve as art gamete donor agreements between donors and intended parents. The documents define parental rights and release donors from future legal obligations before medical cycles begin.
• Parentage Orders & Parental Rights: This parentage order legal services document declares you the legal parent of your child. While Illinois uses administrative processes for surrogacy, we obtain formal court orders to facilitate hospital discharge and birth certificate issuance.
• International Adoption Finalization: This step, known as re-adoption, finalizes an international adoption in an Illinois court. Completing this process allows you to obtain a state birth certificate and provides a documented record of your child’s U.S. citizenship.

Who We Can Help in Illinois

Foster + Bloom protects and celebrates every path to parenthood. Our team partners with everyone in the family-building community, including:

• Intended Parents: We draft the legal contracts and court orders that define and protect your parental rights before you arrive at the hospital.
• Adopting Families: We manage the paperwork, home studies, and court dates required for private, agency, foster, or relative adoption legal services processes.
• Surrogates: We provide the independent legal counsel required by Illinois law, reviewing your contract to ensure your health, your family, and your interests are represented.
• Birth Parents: We advocate for expectant parents considering an adoption plan, ensuring your wishes are documented and your legal rights are protected throughout the process.
• LGBTQ+ Families: We secure legal recognition for same-sex and queer families through tools like second-parent adoption, providing essential legal protection for your children.
• Gamete Donors: We create clear agreements for egg, sperm, and embryo donors that define your role and release you from future parental obligations.

Hear From Our Clients

"There was absolutely no question in our minds who we wanted to help us complete this adoption."

Susie

"Definitely the best choice of adoption needs!"

Lita

"In our first meeting I knew that our growing family was in good hands."

Khandy and Kenny

Ready to Start Your Journey?

A proactive legal plan replaces uncertainty with a structured timeline. When we handle the deadlines and documentation, you gain the freedom to focus on the arrival of your child. Families seeking to adopt an adult child or navigate international surrogacy legal services also find the support they need with our team.

At Foster + Bloom, we are ready to map out the legal steps required for your journey in Illinois. Contact us to share your goals and ensure that when the big day arrives, your family’s legal foundation is secure.