| al process is the last leg of a sometimes long | | | | adoption is never as easy as after the state |
| adoption relay race. As with every race, the last leg | | | | statutes. Each court system looks for and often |
| is the most important. Adoption safety is every | | | | demands different things. Less qualified private |
| family's primary concern. That is why we follow the | | | | adoption attorneys often cause serious delays in |
| safest legal avenues and use only the best adoption | | | | terminating parental rights and finalizing the adoption. |
| attorneys in the country. As you know, attorneys | | | | Most adoptions that are overturned are due to slow |
| specialize much like physicians, so our first priority is | | | | or incompetent legal work. |
| to learn that the adoption is legally secure. The | | | | 3. The third most common mistake is to hire a |
| finalization is often performed in the birth parents' | | | | qualified adoption attorney who is out of our |
| state. We highly suggest utilizing the agency | | | | attorney network. This may be permissible but often |
| attorneys as we have selected each very carefully. | | | | causes our agency extra work and usually is less |
| This helps diminish confusion and eradicate errors. It is | | | | reliable than those in our network. Confusion, |
| no secret that legal loopholes are the main reason | | | | miscommunication, and delays occur in part because |
| adoptions are overturned. Your legal services are the | | | | each adoption agency handles adoption differently. |
| safety of your adoption and are not an area to cut | | | | Out of network attorneys and our agency must |
| corners or costs. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND using | | | | spend extra time discussing the rules therefore |
| attorneys within our network. | | | | charging more for his/her time. We must discuss step |
| Some families have an attorney friend or have heard | | | | by step what areas are our responsibilities and what |
| positive things about an attorney who specializes in | | | | areas are their responsibilities. With our attorney |
| adoption. Consequently, families will ask if they can | | | | network, we have invested many hours working |
| use these attorneys in their adoption. Unfortunately, | | | | together so the left hand knows what the right hand |
| most times these attorneys are not in our adoption | | | | is doing. This has resulted in many more satisfied |
| network. Seeking advice from attorneys outside our | | | | customers and many more successful adoptions with |
| network can be very complicated and often leads to | | | | fewer legal fees for the adoptive family. |
| problems. | | | | On a side note, we have found an attorney's |
| Here are a few reasons why: | | | | experience in adoption does not guarantee efficiency, |
| 1. First, the laws governing an adoption are typically | | | | competence, or responsiveness. With attorneys out |
| those of the state in which the child is born. This | | | | of our network, there are many times we essentially |
| means attorneys in your area will not have the | | | | do an attorney's work for them. Such a formula is |
| knowledge or ability to give correct legal advice. | | | | risky for families and can seriously jeopardize the |
| Without understanding which laws govern certain | | | | safety of your adoption. Consequently, we reserve |
| aspects of the adoption, these attorneys will often | | | | the right to refuse working with attorneys outside of |
| give families with wrong advice and wrong | | | | our network. In many areas, using out of network |
| information. In many adoptions, an attorney is not | | | | attorneys is not an option. If you are considering |
| needed in the adoptive family's state because no | | | | using an out of network attorney, you must seek |
| legal proceedings will take place there. This means | | | | our approval before joining our list. To work with |
| your state laws will have little or no effect on your | | | | attorneys outside of our network, we charge a |
| adoption. | | | | minimum of $1,000 to cover additional staff time. |
| 2. The second most common problem is families who | | | | Finalizing the Adoption |
| seek advice from an attorney with limited adoption | | | | In order to complete the adoption the courts must |
| experience or have little experience in agency | | | | complete it. The amount of time it takes to complete |
| adoptions. Examples of these attorneys are one's | | | | an adoption depends on the state in which you |
| who practice family law, or have been involved in | | | | adopt. Each state's finalization laws are different and |
| only a few agency adoptions, or mostly handled | | | | can vary from 10 days to 12 months. We will provide |
| public state adoptions. Unfortunately, none of these | | | | you with all the legal and post-placement information |
| adoption experiences provides them the ability to | | | | for your adoption once a match has occurred. This |
| give correct advice with cross state adoptions. | | | | service is provided by our network of attorneys and |
| Adoption ways not only vary from state to state | | | | is included in their fee. |
| but from county to county. The legal practice in | | | | |