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Protecting Families Created Through Assisted Reproduction
If you built your family through assisted reproduction—whether through IVF, donor sperm, donor eggs, or other methods—Vermont’s new confirmatory adoption law offers a streamlined way to secure your family’s legal protections across all 50 states.
At Wagner Law in Middlebury, we help parents who conceived through assisted reproduction obtain adoption decrees that confirm and protect their parentage. This important legal step ensures your family will be recognized and respected wherever life takes you.
Why Consider Confirmatory Adoption?
While Vermont law recognizes your parentage, an adoption decree provides the strongest possible protection for your family:
- Guaranteed recognition in all 50 states under the U.S. Constitution
- Protection when traveling or relocating to states with different parentage laws
- Peace of mind in an uncertain legal climate
- Clear legal documentation that cannot be challenged
Even when both parents’ names appear on a birth certificate, that document alone doesn’t establish legal parentage—it’s simply evidence of the relationship. A confirmatory adoption decree provides ironclad legal protection.
Vermont’s Streamlined Process
Thanks to Vermont’s Act 31 (effective July 1, 2025), confirmatory adoption is designed to be simple and efficient:
- No home study required in most cases
- No criminal background check in most cases
- No lengthy waiting periods
- Remote hearings available (or no hearing at all in many cases)
- Prompt issuance of adoption decree
- Straightforward petition with minimal paperwork
The process typically requires only a petition, your marriage certificate (if applicable), a declaration about your child’s birth through assisted reproduction, and a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate.
Who Can File for Confirmatory Adoption?
Confirmatory adoption is available to parents or presumed parents when:
- Your child was born through assisted reproduction (IUI, IVF, donor gametes, donor embryos, etc.)
- At least one parent gave birth to the child
- Both parents consented to the assisted reproduction
- No other person has a legal claim to parentage
Note: Confirmatory adoption is not available for families created through surrogacy, as Vermont has separate protections for those families under our gestational carrier laws.
Our Approach
We understand that every family’s journey is unique. Whether you’re married or unmarried, whether you’re confirming parentage for one parent or updating your family’s legal protections, we guide you through the process with respect and efficiency. Our goal is to help you secure the legal recognition your family deserves without unnecessary complications or delays.
With more than 25 years of family law experience, Wagner Law provides knowledgeable representation that honors your family and protects your children’s future.
Let us help you!
Please call 802-388-4026 or contact us online to schedule an appointment at our office in Middlebury. We also offer remote meetings through Zoom or telephone.