Webinar – Options for Private Adoptions in Washington
April 8th, 2021 Dimitra S. Scott discusses options for private adoptions in Washington. Read More
Recent News
Building Families Through Assisted Reproduction – Surrogacy
When families plan to have children through an Assisted Reproduction process such as Gestational Surrogacy or Genetic Surrogacy, families are formed with the assistance of physicians and fertility clinics all over the country and indeed, throughout the world. However, it appears in many case the medical technology developed faster than the laws in most states.… Read More
Step-Parent Adoption In Washington State
When you're in a relationship with someone who has children from a prior relationship, it is not uncommon to bond with and treat those children as if they were your own. It is important, however, to remember your rights as a step-parent differ substantially then the parental rights of a biological or legal parent. Should… Read More
Is This Child An “Indian Child?” – When Do You Have “Reason To Know” That A Child Is An “Indian Child?”
**This law uses the term “Indian Child” to refer to child members of federally recognized indigenous Native American political and cultural units. These units can be called tribes, bands, nations or any variety of nomenclature. For clarity, this blog posts uses the terms found in the law and in the mandatory forms when necessary to… Read More
Adoption Tax Credit 2021
The U.S. tax code presently allows adoptive families a tax related benefit for any and all qualifying costs and fees incurred in pursuing an adoption. The IRS allows a fairly broad definition of allowed costs and fees such that in most cases, any and all fees and costs paid to an adoption agency, an… Read More
The Golden Ticket: Residency For Spouses And Adopted Children Of Military Servicemembers Stationed Overseas
Question: I’m in the military married to (or have recently adopted) a person who is not a U.S. citizen. What do I do if I’m being sent overseas and my spouse/child has not yet met the residency requirement to be naturalized? You have recently created (or add to) your U.S. military family. From the multiple veterans,… Read More
Webinar – Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Technologies
June 4th, 2020 Dimitra S. Scott speaks about adoption and assisted reproduction technologies. Read More
Penalty-Free Retirement Withdrawal To Grow Your Family Adoption Or Assisted Reproduction
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act), which was signed into law on December 20, 2019, represents a significant overhaul of retirement rules in more than a decade. Among many important changes, the SECURE Act allows you to use retirement savings to start or grow your family! The SECURE Act allows… Read More
Update to Washington State’s Uniform Parentage Act of 2017
Washington was the first state to enact the new Parentage Act in 2018, based on the 2017 Uniform Parentage Act. This update to the Parentage Act addresses issues related to same-sex couples, surrogacy, the right of a child to genetic information, de facto parentage, and parentage of children conceived through sexual assault. Perhaps the… Read More
