Adoption Fees

From home studies to attorneys and counselors, the adoption process is full of people providing services that accrue the overall fees associated with certain adoptions. Home study fees are inescapable and usually cost a few thousand dollars. If a couple is adopting a child from a public agency, state or federal subsidies may reimburse up to $2,500 in adoption costs. Public adoptions may very well be the only fee-free adoption.

Other adoption fees tend to run between $5,000 to over $40,000. In private domestic adoptions, the fees pay for services such as an attorney, case worker, counseling, birth costs, post-placement home visits and other services. If a couple is adopting internationally, the fees involved with travel can build up quickly. As can the fees required for filing the adoption papers and applying for visas. International adopters are also expected to make some form of philanthropic donation that can be a few thousand dollars. Depending on the country from which an adoption is based, the adopter may also need to take up temporary residence there or purchase property.

Fees for independent adoption are likely to be closer to those of a private agency, except the services are all being facilitated by an attorney. Sometimes in independent adoptions, the birth mothers can become demanding or may even change their mind after receiving money for maternity clothing and such. Because of these rare occasions, the "fees" associated with independent adoption are among the highest of all adoption scenarios.