
Each year there are around 135,000 children adopted. If you’re someone that’s looking to adopt a child, chances are you’re going to need an adoption attorney to help you throughout the entire process.
We’re going to provide you with an in-depth guide that will help you get through all the options for attorneys that you have at your fingertips.
Consider Their Experience
When it comes time to choose an attorney, you need to think about their adoption case experience. You’re going to put your time, energy, and monetary resources into your adoption.
Therefore, you want an attorney who knows what they’re doing and will help you get the outcome you want, which is adopting a child. You should ask some key questions that will help you determine the experience they have when it comes to adoption cases.
- How much of their practice is for adoption cases
- How many adoption cases have they handled in recent years
- Were there issues in finalizing the adoption
These are just a few important questions that you need to ask when meeting with adoption attorneys.
Do Your Research
The World Wide Web is a great place to find information about everything, especially attorneys that you might want to work with in the future.
We recommend you take some time to research references and reviews. These reviews will give you insight into what past clients have to say about working with the attorney.
The reviews will list both the advantages and disadvantages of working with the attorney. If you know someone personally who has adopted a child using the attorney you’re researching, that’s even better.
They can tell you firsthand what the experience was like and what you can expect when you hire them. For example, if most of the reviews you see about a practice state that they communicate poorly with clients, you’re going to want to continue your search for the attorney that works your case.
Inquire About Fees
As mentioned briefly above, you’re going to dedicate a considerable amount of funds to your adoption case, and part of these fees are going to be legal fees as well as paying your attorney. Before you sign the paperwork, ask what the fees associated with your case are.
The cost of hiring an attorney for your adoption case will vary based on both the specialization and experience of the attorney. If your case is complex in nature, you might be looking at a higher cost.
The cost might continue to rise if your case takes longer to complete than the average timeframe. Are you being charged by the hour or a flat fee?
When will you be charged the flat fee before or after your case has concluded? What counts towards the hour if you’re being charged hourly?
Do phone calls, emails, and text messaging count as a part of the hour that you’re being charged? What methods of payment does the practice accept?
While this is a lot to take in, it’s essential to know what you’re paying for rather than being surprised when the attorney sends you an invoice for the amount you owe.
Methods of Communication
When something changes with your case or new information becomes available, you’re going to want to know. The last thing you want to do is hire an attorney that doesn’t return your calls, messages, or emails promptly.
Before you begin working with an attorney, ask them what you can expect in terms of communication. When you call them, can you expect a reply within 2 hours, or will you need to wait until the next business day?
If they’ve got information to share with you, will it be shared as soon as they find out or during your next meeting? When time is of the essence, you want to work with an attorney that places communication with their clients at the top of their priority list.
These things should be made clear during your first meeting. It’s also easy to gauge how well the attorney communicates during your first consultation.
You’ll be able to learn about how attentive they are to your needs as a potential client.
Adoptions They Can Handle
One thing that some people don’t realize is there are several types of adoption. You need to know which types of adoptions your attorney is the most comfortable handling and has the most experience with.
The most common type of adoption you might be thinking of is a 3rd party adoption. The people that can participate in this type of adoption are single people, married couples, and same-sex couples.
Other types of adoptions include:
- Adults that adopt other adults
- Grandparents that wish to adopt their grandchildren
- Stepparents that want to adopt their stepchildren legally
Each of these adoptions requires a different level of expertise from the attorney that’s handling the case. The attorney you choose needs to be dedicated and understand the law pertaining to the case you’re presenting them with.
Choose Your Adoption Attorney With Care
When choosing your adoption attorney, several factors need to be considered. One of the first things to research is what type of adoption the attorney specializes in and what the fees are that you will be charged for hiring the attorney.
Are you still searching for an attorney that can handle your adoption case? If so, you need to contact Florida Adoptions as soon as possible. Stephanie S. White knows what it takes to bring families together.