Blog

Happy July 4th everyone. I hope you enjoy a slower pace today and a good time with your family. Remember today the immortal words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I also encourage everyone to read the entire Declaration of Independence located here: http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1776-1785/the-final-text-of-the-declaration-of-independence-july-4-1776.php. May God bless you and yours today, and may God continue to bless this great nation.

I wanted to make everyone aware that we have moved Kleem Law, LLC to our permanent location. We are now on the Second Floor of the Estes & Walcott building on Thornton Avenue. The address is 201 N. Thornton Avenue. The office is just north of City Park Elementary School. Park in the back of the building, enter and take the elevator up. We look forward to serving our clients from this location for many years. Come by and see us.

This morning I met with a great family at the Whitfield County Department of Family and Children Services. The occasion was for the Department Director to sign the Consent to Adopt form (along with many other forms signed). This form allows the foster family to file the petition in Superior Court to adopt the foster child. This is a big step in the process of adopting a child out of foster care. By this point in the process, the rights of the biological parents have been dealt with such that the child is now available for adoption. The adoption itself is the only remaining hurdle.

Now, I have the responsibility of preparing the adoption petition so that it meets all requirements of the Georgia code for adopting a child out of the State’s custody. And if you can’t tell, please be assured that I consider it a distinct privilege to represent this family, and all families similarly situated, as they take the final steps towards permanency for this precious child. The goal of the entire body of both federal and state law for children in foster care is permanency. Many children return to their family of origins. But those that can’t be returned deserve a forever family.

So today was an exciting day. I can’t wait to get a final adoption order for this child. That will be an even more exciting day.

#adoption #foreverfamily #terrifictuesday

As many of you know, adoption is not just another practice area for me. I have always been involved professionally in children’s issues. After college, I worked in a home for troubled boys, and then in a WinShape Foster Home. Through law school and beyond, I continued to volunteer at the foster home and as a youth Sunday School Teacher and Chaperone at my church. When I moved to Dalton after law school, my first job was as a law clerk in our Superior Court. That year, I reviewed every adoption filed in Murray and Whitfield Counties. That is when I really learned Georgia Adoption Law. When I started representing clients in 2001, I began doing adoptions pretty regularly. But then these two young ladies entered not my professional life, but my personal life. My wife and I became acquainted with our daughters when they were teenagers. When we adopted our two daughters, we came to understand what it really means to be a forever family. And we have indeed been blessed by the richness and love that came from adding our two daughters to our family. Our boys have also benefited from having not one, but two big sisters to keep them in line. We are all growing together, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

In this Blawg, I hope to share helpful hints, interesting tidbits, and updates on the happenings at Kleem Law. I hope you find the material interesting and useful. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

My aim is to have a few blawg entries a week, but we shall see how that goes.