Independent adoption is a legal process by which a parent or guardian having legal and physical custody of a child places the child directly with the adoptive parent(s), instead of having to relinquish parental rights to an agency. Independent adoption is also known as “private adoption” or “direct placement adoption”. Almost all states allow birth parents who wish to place their child for adoption to choose the adoptive parents. Under Michigan's adoption laws, attorneys may facilitate independent adoptions. Nationally, about half of all infant adoptions are independent adoptions.