US Law

December 6 2021

How to Put an Older Child Up for Adoption

Published Dec 6, 2021

While you may be in the most trying situation of your life, there is hope — for both you and your child. It is possible to place an older child for adoption, whether an infant or a toddler.

While each process is unique, each older child adoption involves several significant steps.

Once you understand how to put an older child up for adoption, you may decide if this is what you really want or if other forms of support are more appropriate for your situation.

How to Put an Older Child Up for Adoption: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Determine if Putting an Older Child for Adoption is Right for You

Let’s face it: parenting is difficult. There are psychological, financial, and physical difficulties that made you ask how to put your child up for adoption.

When do those obstacles become so overwhelming that adoption becomes the best course of action for your family?

Each woman has a unique response. Several indicators that adoption may be right for you include the following:

You are financially unstable to meet your own and your child’s basic needs.
The demands of parenting can be physically and mentally exhausting.
You believe that another loving family can provide an incredible life for your child.

Step 2: Contact Adoption Facilities

If you have a child that is a newborn, a year old, or even a toddler and you are considering older child adoption, you can reach out to an adoption specialist.

Step 3: Medical and Social Histories

If you choose to begin the process of placing an older child for adoption, you can start preparing immediately. You’ll receive an information packet that contains additional beneficial adoption facts, as well as for instructions on how the older child adoption process will proceed.

At this point, many prospective birth parents are curious about the duration of the process. At the end of the day, each process is unique. It’s difficult to say, and a lot depends on you. A few steps may take some time, but the more involved and prepared you are, the quicker the process will progress.

One thing you can do immediately to expedite the process is to begin gathering medical and social histories. These are documents that must be included with the adoption paperwork, such as the following:

The child’s birth certificate
Labor and delivery records
Prenatal care documents
Pediatric medical histories

Your adoption specialist will be with you throughout the process, ensuring that you feel prepared, confident, and at ease when you have questions about how to put a child up for adoption. They will assist you in requesting these documents, but ultimately, it is up to you to take the initiative and sign the necessary releases for this critical information.

Step 4: Look for an Adoptive Family

When you place older children for adoption, just as when a woman places a newborn for adoption, you get to choose the adoptive family.

You can browse adoptive family profiles to identify parents who are best equipped to provide a seamless transition for your child into a loving family. In general, more adoptive families are willing to adopt newborns and infants, but fewer are willing to adopt a toddler.

When you’ve identified the family you believe will be the best fit for your baby and gathered all of the necessary medical and social history listed in the preceding step, the American adoption will contact you to initiate the connection.

Step 5: The Transition

The transition plan is a critical step in “giving up” an older child for adoption. In essence, this is the time when your child is placed in the adoptive family’s care.

Depending on your child’s age, this may be challenging and confusing for them to comprehend. You and the adoptive parents will collaborate on a transition plan to ensure your child’s safety and security.

Numerous transition plans span several days. It might go as follows:

On Friday, you and your child may meet, share a meal, and then return home.
You meet again on Saturday, but you depart while your child remains with the adoptive parents this time. As a result, they can interact, bond, and form a connection.
Then, on Sunday, the child is ready to be placed with his or her adoptive parents. As a result of your time together over the last few days, this placement may feel more natural and secure for your child.

This stage of the older child adoption process can be extremely challenging; the objective is for both you and your child to feel secure during this transition.

Step 6: Complete Your Placement

You must sign your adoption paperwork to finalize your placement. You will be assisted by your specialist and attorney. This is a courageous act of doing what is best for your child.

After the paperwork is signed and the adoption is finalized, you have the option of maintaining contact through open adoption. Each open adoption is unique, and you must decide what is best for you and your child.

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About The Author

Krizzia Paolyn, is an SEO Specialist and author. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She started her career as a content writer for various digital magazines and renowned publications. It has always been her passion to share her voice, and at the same time, to encourage others to share their voices as well.

August 2 2021

How Old Do You Have to Be to Get a Piercing?

SEO Team US Law, Most Popular

Published Aug 8, 2021

Many parents — as well as adolescents — are curious about the right age for piercings.

Depending on your state of residence, a minor—a person under 18—may be permitted to obtain a body piercing or tattoo without their parent’s approval. Each state creates its own guidelines regarding body art, so you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the local laws.

Certain states prohibit minors from getting tongue piercings or tattoos without parental authorization, while others have no such restrictions. This implies that you may be able to walk into a salon without your parent’s knowledge and have a piercing or tattoo. So, really, how old do you have to be to get a piercing or tattoo?

Things to Know Before Making a Choice

Certain states have enacted rules prohibiting certain types of piercings. While ear piercing is generally permissible for minors, a tongue piercing may require parental consent.

Regrettably, not all tattoo artists and body piercers adhere to the law. Several of them may be willing to pierce or tattoo you without proper parental consent. Anyone who violates the law will almost certainly face a fine and the possibility of losing their license to practice.

State Laws Regarding Body Piercing and Tattooing

Because laws change frequently, it is critical to educate oneself on the most up-to-date requirements in your state. The following are the current state laws you must be aware of:

Alabama

Written consent of a parent or legal guardian must be provided before a minor can receive a piercing or tattoo.

Alaska

Minors are not permitted to receive tattoos.
Body piercing requires written parental consent and the presence of a parent or legal guardian throughout the procedure.

Arizona

To receive a piercing or tattoo, a minor must have the physical presence of a parent or legal guardian.

California

It is prohibited to tattoo a minor.
To receive a piercing other than an ear-piercing, you must have either the presence or notarized written consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Colorado

A minor can have a piercing or tattoo only if he or she has written permission from a parent or legal guardian.

Connecticut

Minors must have their parent’s or guardians ’ written authorization before receiving a tattoo.

Delaware

To have a piercing or tattoo done, a minor must first obtain written consent from a parent or legal guardian.

Florida

To have a piercing or tattoo, minors require the parent or legal guardian’s written notarized approval.

Georgia

Only a licensed osteopath or technician who is supervised by a licensed physician or osteopath may tattoo a minor.
Written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian is required for piercing.

Hawaii

Minors must have their parent’s written authorization before receiving a tattoo.
There are no age limits for piercings right now.

Idaho

Teenagers under the age of 14 are not permitted to get tattoos, brandings, or piercings.
Teenagers 14 to 18 must get their parent’s or legal guardians ‘ written before getting a piercing or tattoo.

Illinois

Minors under 18 must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian when entering a tattoo parlor. Also, children are not allowed to get a tattoo.

Indiana

To obtain a piercing or tattoo, a minor must have written consent and the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

Iowa

Tattooing a minor is considered illegal.
No laws exist regarding body piercing.

Kansas

Minors must have the presence and notarized consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Kentucky

To have a piercing or tattoo, minors require the parent or legal guardian’s written notarized consent.

Louisiana

A minor can’t receive a piercing or tattoo unless a parent or legal guardian is present.

Maine

Tattooing a minor is considered illegal.
To get a piercing, a minor must have written parental or guardian consent.

Maryland

There are currently no age limits on body piercing or tattoos.

Massachusets

There are currently no age limits on body piercing or tattoos.

Michigan

Minors who wish to have a piercing must obtain written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Consent must be given personally.

Minnesota

Tattooing a minor is considered illegal.
To have a piercing, a minor must obtain witnessed written authorization from a parent or legal guardian. Minors are not permitted to have genital or nipple piercings, scarification, branding, suspension, microdermal, subdermal implantation, or tongue bifurcation.

Mississippi

Body piercing or tattooing a minor is considered illegal.

Missouri

Minors who wish to have a piercing or tattoo must obtain written consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Consent must be given personally.

Montana

Minors who wish to have a piercing or tattoo must obtain written consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Consent must be given personally.

Nebraska

To acquire a piercing or tattoo, a minor must obtain written authorization from a parent or legal guardian.

Nevada

There are currently no age limits on body piercing or tattoos.
The state does not regulate tattoo parlors or body piercing establishments.

New Hampshire

Minors who wish to have a piercing must obtain written consent from their parent or legal guardian and be in the presence of their parent or legal guardian.

New Jersey

Tattoos are permitted only with the written consent of a minor’s parent or legal guardian.

New Mexico

Minors must provide written consent and be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the tattooing or piercing process.

New York

Tattooing a minor is considered illegal.
Piercings require written parental consent.

North Carolina

Body piercing or tattooing a minor is considered illegal.

North Dakota

Minors must provide written consent and be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the tattooing or piercing process.

Ohio

The parent or guardian must sign a consent form and be present throughout the procedure.

Oklahoma

Tattooing a minor is considered illegal.
Minors must provide written consent and be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the piercing process.

Oregon

A parent or guardian must approve in writing and present identification.
Minors may be tattooed only with a physician’s authorization.

Pennsylvania

Minors must provide written consent and be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the tattooing or piercing process.

Rhode Island

Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when receiving a piercing.
Minors are not permitted to be tattooed.

South Carolina

Without parental consent, minors under the age of 18 are not permitted to have tattoos.
A parent or guardian must either grant written, notarized consent or be present during the procedure for a body piercing.

South Dakota

Minors who wish to have a piercing or tattoo must obtain written consent from their parents or legal guardian.

Tennessee

A minor over the age of 16 may receive a tattoo to conceal an existing tattoo, but they must have their parent present and provide proof of identity.
To receive a piercing as a minor, written consent and the presence of a parent or legal guardian are required.

Texas

Minors who wish to have a tattoo must obtain written consent from their parent or legal guardian and be in their presence.
Only if the tattoo covers an ‘obscene or insulting’ tattoo and the parent believes it is ‘in the child’s best interest.’
A parent or guardian must provide proof of parentage or guardianship.

Utah

Minors must obtain parental or legal guardian consent prior to receiving a piercing or tattoo.

Vermont

Minors who wish to have a piercing or tattoo must obtain written approval from a parent or legal guardian.

Virginia

Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when receiving a piercing or tattoo - this does not include ear piercing.

Washington

Tattooing a minor is considered illegal.
There are currently no age limits on body piercing.

West Virginia

There are currently no age limits on body piercing.
Minors must have their parent or legal guardian’s written consent before getting a tattoo.

Wisconsin

There are currently no age limits on body piercing.
Tattooing a minor other than a physician in the course of his or her professional practice is prohibited.

Wyoming

Minors must have verbal consent from a parent or legal guardian or be present for the whole process.

Now that you have an answer to your question, “how old do you have to be to get a piercing or tattoo?” Make sure that you make a wise decision and ask your parents for advice first.

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April 5 2021

Do You Need A Passport To Go On A Cruise Vacation?

SEO Team US Law

A cruise traveling around the large ocean

Published January 7, 2022

The laws governing whether or not US citizens require a passport for cruises are a little unclear. You may be driving to an American homeport but will be visiting other nations throughout your journey; do you require a passport to cruise or not? While it’s more evident what to do when flying internationally, you may be shocked to learn that certain sailings departing from the United States do not require a passport. However, just because you are not required to have a passport does not imply you should depart without one.

Allow us to dispel some of the confusion around when you do and do not require a passport to sail on a cruise — and what follows if you travel without one in an emergency.

Do You Need A Passport for A Cruise: A Passport is Required for Cruises to and From Foreign Ports

To begin, a passport is required for any US citizen embarking or disembarking on a cruise in a foreign country, including Canada. Additionally, they are necessary for sailings that originate and terminate in various US ports. Additionally, you may need a passport for certain beach excursions that cross a land or sea border into a foreign country, such as Alaska’s White Pass and Yukon Railway train journeys and day tours to smaller Caribbean islands. Additionally, it’s a good idea to examine the entry criteria for certain ports, as you may be required to obtain a visa.

cruise traveling in a large ocean while passing the coconut tree

No Passport Needed: Closed Loop Sailings

The perplexing thing is that cruisers are often excused from the requirement to bring passports if they are traveling on “closed loop” sailings that begin and end in United States port and travel solely to Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Bermuda. If you opt to travel without a passport, you must still present government-issued picture identification (such as a driver’s license) and proof of citizenship (a certified copy of your birth certificate or similar documents) upon your return to the United States. So do you need a passport for a cruise?

Once again, verify the entry criteria for the cruise ports you intend to visit. Simply because you do not require a passport to enter the United States does not mean you do not need one to enter any foreign countries on your route. Martinique and Guadeloupe, for example, require cruisers to provide passports upon arrival, even on closed-loop sailings.

Do You Need A Passport for A Cruise: Disadvantages of Traveling Without A Passport

What are the disadvantages of traveling without a passport? Only an official passport will enable you to fly home from a foreign port in an emergency. However, what happens if you are trapped in another nation with only your birth certificate and photo ID owing to an unexpected ailment or illness or a mechanical fault on your cruise ship? The answer is that you can return home; however, it will simply take more time and work to obtain the necessary documentation.

Temporary Passport

In essence, you will need to obtain a temporary passport in order to re-enter the United States — even if you take the ferry rather than flying. Although temporary passports are only valid for a limited amount of time, they are accessible for those who need to travel urgently but lack the time to wait for a conventional passport, which cannot be expedited outside the United States. Limited validity passports normally take only a few days to complete once you apply at a US embassy or consulate abroad.

When a ship is forced to disembark in a foreign port, the cruise company will work directly with the international immigration department to help guests with passport processing and arranging for any necessary mode of transportation to return home.

Scurrying for a temporary passport can result in mountains of paperwork and several problems, and the processing time is never certain. Isolated occurrences have left travelers detained for longer than intended, which is not a pleasant situation unless you see the glass half full.

The Bottom Line: Passport Required for Cruises

To conclude: do you need a passport for a cruise? Even if you want to travel on closed-loop sailings, we strongly advise you to get a passport before embarking on your trip. The $145 cost ($115 for kids) is well worth it for “peace of mind.” Though you can return home without a passport if you become trapped in port, the effort of getting a temporary passport on top of arranging for last-minute travel is not worth saving a few dollars by skipping the passport investment.

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March 11 2021

What Counts as Proof Of Citizenship in the US?

Content Team US Law

Published March 11, 2021

There are plenty of reasons why you need proof for your United States Citizenship. There may be documents that you will use soon that require proof of your citizenship before you can proceed with the application.

You will need proof of your US citizenship if you want to apply for a United States passport. You also need these documents for all legal matters and citizenship benefits. Here’s what counts as proof for US citizenship.

What Counts as Proof of Citizenship?

There are plenty of documents that can help you prove you are a United States citizen. Proof of citizenship is a piece of paper that certifies you are a citizen of a given country.

There are two types of circumstances for a person’s birth: born inside or outside the United States. These circumstances help narrow down the documents that you need as proof of citizenship.

If You Are Born Inside the United States

If you were born inside the United States, these are the documents you will need as proof of citizenship. The primary forms you can use are the US Birth Certificate and the US Passport.

1. United States Birth Certificate

The United States Birth Certificate is issued to you by county, city, or state if you were born in the US. It should show your full name, along with both of your parents’ names, and must have a sign and seal to be valid.

2. United States Passport

You can obtain your passport by applying for one. You can consider your US passport as proof of citizenship.

Legal authorities accept both your valid and expired United States passports. However, it would be for the best if it were the latest passport.

Meanwhile, the secondary forms you can use are your Delayed Birth Certificate, Early Public Records, or Letter of No Record. If you, for some reason, cannot procure the primary documents, then these secondary forms are accepted.

3. Delayed Birth Certificate

A delayed birth certificate is a birth certificate not filed within the year of your birth date. Legal authorities can consider this file as proof of citizenship.

4. Early Public Records

Early public records are baptism certificates, school records, census records, medical records, or a Form DS-10 Birth Affidavit. Legal authorities will accept these as proof of citizenship.

4. Letter of No Record

If your birth certificate wasn’t issued to you, you need to obtain a Letter of No Record from the registrar. You must get this from the state you were born in and must contain:

Your full name
Date of birth.
The number of years they searched for your birth certificate
An official statement that they did not find any birth certificate.

If You Are Born Outside the United States

If you were born outside the United States, these are the primary documents that you will need to have as proof of citizenship. You can also apply for a certificate of citizenship.

1. US Passport

If you were born abroad, then a United States passport can prove your citizenship. The only way you can only have a US passport when you’re born outside is if your parents applied for you to have one with your Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

2. Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Birth

Parents could obtain a Consular Report of Birth Abroad if they registered their child for one. They must report the child’s birth in the US consulate within the foreign country.

Please take note that parents can only apply for this within five years of the child’s birth. After five years, the child will no longer be allowed to register for this certificate.

3. Certificate of Naturalization

You could apply for citizenship if your parents became citizens through naturalization. Your parents’ certificate will be your proof of citizenship.

If you were born outside of the US and your American parents adopted you, all you need to show as proof of citizenship are your adoption forms.

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About The Author

Judy Ponio is a professional writer and SEO specialist. She works hard to ensure her work uses accurate facts by cross checking reputable sources. She is the lead author for several prominent websites covering a variety of topics including law, health, nutrition, and more.