How do we handle private adoption, if we know birth parents?

Question

If we know someone that is pregnant & she wants our family to adopt her baby...what would the process look like LEGALLY and finacially? I guess we'd have to talk to an adoption attorney and they could finalize everything...but I am sure there are tons of details & I am curious about cost??? How easy / difficult might it be??

Answer 1

adoption lawyer

Answer 2

An attorney is necessary to advise you correctly.

Good luck with your adoption!

Answer 3

You would need to find an attorney.  The costs run from $7,000 and $10,000 depending upon the state and the laws.  You want to make sure that there is no coercion.  You want to make sure that you have home studies in place.  You want to make sure that they (both the natural mother and father) understand the complications and long standing loss in adoption.  Also keep the adoption open. That child does need his heritage and his ancestry.  Make sure the natural parents have both the amended and original birth certificate.  Make sure that the child's needs come first about your own and the natural parents.

Answer 4

Call a lawyer - depending on your state you may be liable for living expenses and medical bills, but the lawyer alone will be around $10-15,000.  I would make appointments with some adoption lawyers, ask around and get prices.  It may be a lot easier to just go to an adoption agency and let them handle everything.  That way you know that every step of the way you are handling it legally.  I know that if you go to an agency matched then it will not be much more than going straight to a lawyer, but you will have the social workers helping you through the process.  Good luck and God bless you all for being foster parents!

Answer 5

Seek an adoption lawyer.  They are the best source of what to do on adopting the child in this private adoption.  No lawyer is cheap, but is worth it in your situation.  You are blessed that the birth mother trusts you and wants you to be the childs parents.  Be sure that the birth father is on board as well or that can delay the adoption process as well.  IF the birth father wants the child, then you have a legal problem on adoption.

Answer 6

Have you encouraged her to parent?  Have you helped her find the resources available to her so that she could parent?  Have you encouraged her to explore all the ramifications that losing her child to adoption will bring both to her and her child?

Please do not pursue adoption until you have done these things or you will regret it forever.

Answer 7

You definitely want to consult an attorney who is knowledgeable about adoptions.

There are a lot of details that you can learn on your own and although it does cost to get an attorney to handle an adoption, there are also tax deductions that help to cover the cost of adoption.

I would strongly suggest that you get the attorney involved in the earliest stages possible.

Having guardianship papers ready for the birth-mom to sign as soon as possible following the birth of the baby, has been known to save a child from being placed into foster care.

As for the cost, it varies from attorney to attorney and state to state.  Start having a garage sale, sell items on eBay, sell everything you do not need or want, and raise the money you need to pay for the attorney.

Good Luck to you and what a strong/wise mom it takes to realize they are not able to care for a baby, but choose to give birth to the child and allow someone more capable to raise their baby.

Kudos to birth-moms!!

The link below will give you a lot of information and is a great place to start researching.