Adoption Attorney

Every adoption requires the help of an adoption attorney. These professionals will review all paperwork for the adoption parties: adopters, agencies, birth mothers. They ensure the paperwork is filed with the right offices and that every contract and action is in compliance with state and Interstate Compact laws. Whether the adoption is international, private, or independent, dictates how involved an attorney will be in the adoption process.

Independent adoptions are facilitated by an attorney instead of a case worker hired by an agency. About two-thirds of future birth mothers prefer independent adoptions because they don't like the idea of an agency playing the middle man. However, hiring an attorney who isn't experienced (handles fewer than five adoptions a year) can ruin a placement. Adoption attorneys should be personable and someone that a future birth mother can trust without feeling the attorney is condescending or pressuring her. Researching the attorney's background is important, taking word-of-mouth suggestions or logging on to the Better Business Bureau are both ways to get information on an attorney. Knowing the signs of a possible scam artist will also be helpful for making the final decision on an attorney to work with.

Attorney fees are not necessarily cheap, but using an adoption attorney can potentially save adopters money by knowing the ins and outs of what a couple will need to pay for birth mother hospitality or orphanage donations, in the case of international adoptions.