Deciding to adopt a child can be a very exciting time in one’s life, but beginning the process can seem overwhelming once you realize all that is involved. Because of this, many people decide that an adoption attorney is not only helpful, but in many ways necessary. Below are some reasons why a person may hire an adoption attorney.

Adoption Process Can Be Confusing

Not only will an adoption agency require a certain process to be followed, but there are many legal guidelines surrounding adoption, as well. If you are adopting a child from a different state or a different country, these guidelines and laws can become more complicated. An attorney can help explain this process and many legal issues surrounding adoption and help navigate you through the process.  

Adoption is Expensive and Lengthy Process

To adopt an infant in the United States, it usually takes 12 months with most placements occurring between six and 18 months. However, this will vary between situations as will cost.  For instance, the cost of adopting a healthy infant in the United States ranges from several hundred dollars to $30,000 or more. After all of the time, effort, and emotion that you put into the adoption process, you want to ensure that your outcome is positive and an attorney can help with this.

Issues With the Birth Parents

An adoption attorney can ensure that the birth parents’ rights are legally terminated before the adoption is finalized. This can often be complicated in regards to the rights of the biological father. It is possible that the biological father may not know that a child was born. An attorney can help take the steps necessary to see that every precaution was taken to ensure that you have the sole legal rights to the child.

Similarly, many birth parents may want an open adoption. Here, the birth and adoptive parents will meet, share varying degrees of personal information, and have direct access to ongoing contact with the child over the years. An adoption attorney can help counsel you on this process, including the pros and cons of this option. An attorney can construct an enforceable agreement with the birth parents concerning post-adoption communication and visitation.

Home Study

A home study will be a series of meetings between you and a social worker who will provide more information about the adoption. This process will vary from agency to agency, but all will require certain documents, such as marriage license, birth certificate, medical report, and criminal background check. An attorney can not only help you gather these documents, but can also ensure that your home study is conducted properly.

If you or someone you know is contemplating adoption, please contact the attorneys at Vayman & Teitelbaum. Our skilled attorneys can help you navigate through this process and ensure that your needs are met. We will work diligently for you and your new family member.