Care for the people you love. Plan for what comes next.

Adoption

Adoption can arise in very different circumstances, and the legal process depends on how a family reaches that point. Diehl Law handles both private and subsidized adoptions, including adoptions that provide permanency for children following abuse and neglect proceedings.

In subsidized adoption matters, attorney’s fees may be paid through the West Virginia Department of Human Services when adoption is the approved permanency outcome. Private adoptions involve different requirements, including appropriate notice, parental consent or other resolution of parental rights, and careful compliance with West Virginia law before an adoption can be finalized.

An initial consultation can help identify the type of adoption involved, the legal steps that may be required, and whether the firm can assist.

Minor guardianship

Grandparents, relatives, and other caregivers sometimes take responsibility for a child when a parent cannot provide care or when a different legal arrangement is needed to provide stability. Diehl Law handles private minor guardianships as well as subsidized guardianships arising from child welfare proceedings.

When subsidized guardianship is an approved permanency outcome in an abuse and neglect case, financial assistance and payment of attorney’s fees may be available through the West Virginia Department of Human Services. Private guardianships involve different legal and financial considerations.

The appropriate path depends on the child’s circumstances, existing custody and parental rights, and the legal proceedings that may already be underway.

Adult guardianship

When an adult may be unable to make important personal, medical, or financial decisions independently, a guardianship proceeding may be necessary. Diehl Law provides counsel concerning adult guardianship proceedings, including matters involving evaluation of capacity, medical evidence, proceedings before the West Virginia Mental Hygiene Commissioner, and the responsibilities a proposed guardian may undertake.

These decisions affect a person’s independence and dignity as well as the family members trying to provide appropriate care. They deserve careful consideration of both the person’s needs and the legal authority actually required.

Estate planning for people and families

Estate planning is not simply about deciding who receives property after death. A thoughtful plan considers the people who depend on you, how decisions will be made if you cannot make them yourself, and whether the plan you create will work as intended when your family needs it.

Diehl Law provides wills, simple trusts, powers of attorney, special needs trusts, and individualized estate-planning consultation. Planning may include considering how a home or other real estate should pass after death, protecting a child or adult with disabilities, providing for minor children, addressing the needs of a blended family, preserving appropriate access to public benefits, planning for the care of pets, or deciding how and when younger beneficiaries should receive an inheritance.

Planning should reflect the family’s circumstances and provide appropriate protections for the people—and sometimes the animals—who matter to them.

A commitment that follows a family through life

Adoption, guardianship, and planning are connected by a common purpose: helping people care for one another with greater clarity and stability. Diehl Law approaches this work as part of its broader commitment to family preservation and strong communities.