by Chelsie M. Elliott | Aug 10, 2026 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
Providing proper notice to a biological parent is one of the most important procedural requirements in a Washington adoption proceeding involving a minor child. Service errors can create significant delays and may expose an adoption decree to future challenges.... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Jun 12, 2025 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
(Originally published January 19, 2017. Updated June 12, 2025.) Blended Families and Stepparent Adoptions It is very common in today’s world for people to be living in a blended family. Stepparents tend to get a bad rap in movies or TV shows (just look at any version... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Dec 19, 2024 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
Second Parent Adoption in Washington Overview If you are in a same-sex relationship where one parent carries the child, you may qualify for a Second Parent Adoption. Most commonly, families like this involve a same sex couple who obtained donated sperm. Common sense... 
by Navigate Law Group | May 10, 2024 | Abusive Relationship, Child Custody, Child Support, Committed Intimate Relationship, Contempt, Divorce in Washington, Domestic Violence, Family Law, Family Law Emergencies, Family Law Trial, Family Planning, Finding an Attorney, Legal Separation, Military Family Law Issues, Minor Guardianship, Non-Marital Relationships, Parenting Plan, Post Final Orders, Post-Secondary Support, Rape Survivor Parental Rights, Relocation
You have heard of the attorney-client privilege, but do you know what it means and why it is so important? What Is Attorney-Client Privilege? In Washington, confidential communications between attorneys and clients are defined in the Rules for Professional Conduct... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Jan 10, 2024 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
I’ve done a few other blog posts about adoptions (see “Adoption through Foster Care,” “Types of Agreed Adoption,” and “The Basics: Agreed Stepparent Adoption (Washington state),” but those processes involve minors, not adults. The process is a bit different and a bit... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Mar 15, 2022 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
One of the avenues people have to adopt a child is through a state’s foster care system. Thousands of children are placed in the foster care system each year due to their parents’ inability to parent or care for the child, or not having a parent to do so. Sometimes...