Attorney Adoption

Attorney adoption refers to adoption using the services of an attorney without the participation of an adoption agency. This is also known as "independent adoption."

Attorney adoption can be arranged through the offices of a lawyer who also acts as a facilitator (where allowed by law), or when adopting and placing parents have located each other and approach an adoption lawyer to handle the legal process. (Even in this latter case, adopting and placing parents can and often should have different attorneys to represent their respective interests.)

When considering an attorney adoption, there are certain things to remember:

1. Ask members of adoptive parent support groups for referrals to attorneys they worked with successfully.
2. Contact the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys or your State Bar Association for adoption specialists.
3. Other sources of referrals can include judges, friends, family, and doctors.
4. Ask the attorney what percentage of his/her practice is devoted to adoptions.
5. Find out how many adoptions the attorney handles a year, as well as the total over the course of his/her career.
6. Adoptions through private attorneys can cost between $15,000 - $20,000. Ask how payment is expected and what it covers.
7. Make sure the attorney will be accessible to you outside normal business hours. This is not a 9-5 proposition.
8. Once you decide on the attorney who is right for you, listen to him/her! That's what you're paying for.
9. Don't be afraid to pester your attorney (within reason). It's healthy to indicate your ongoing impatience and interest.

• Beware of something that sounds too easy, inexpensive, or quick to be true.
• Adoption and family law are specialized practice areas. It is not recommended that you use an attorney without this experience.
• Find resources for pre-adoption education and post-adoption services which may not be provided by the attorney's legal practice.