Independent adoption includes stepparent adoption.
An independent adoption begins when the prospective adopting parents and birthparents locate one another. The parties often connect as a result of advertisements or introductions by mutual friends, relatives or acquaintances. Maryland does not permit a professional intermediary to arrange adoptions unless that intermediary is a licensed child placement agency. Once the parties locate one another, they begin resolving together many issues posed by the adoption process. This negotiation may be made directly by the parties or through their attorneys.