Private/Independent Adoption.. sorta budget related..LOL

[Jenn4615]

Long story short... Both of my kids were adopted through an agency adoption. We have open adoptions with both of my kids birthparents. Our DD's bmom came to us two weeks ago and asked us to adopt another baby they just found out they are pregnant with! After much SHOCK! since I thought I was finished at two! I absolutly CAN NOT WAIT!
So, my question is, has anyone out there done an private adoption using just attorneys? Can someone give me a breakdown of the expenses? I know they would just be approximate. Everything I read estimates the cost of Independent / private adoptions factoring in Medical expenses and Search/advertising fees... neither of which we will have to pay. So, I am wondering if any of you wonderful disboards peeps have any experience with this! We don't meet with an attorney for 2 weeks... and my mind is racing!
I do know we will have to pay our DD's bmoms lawyer fees, however our state does not allow anything to be paid except for counseling and Attoney fees by the adoptive parents..... so those are the only things I am trying to figure out.
Thanks in advance if anyone can help!

 

[holden]

I can't answer your Q, but how exciting! Could you call the agency you used before to ask them for some advice/referrals? We adopted both of our kids through foster care and the lawyer we used for both adoptions was provided by the county but he also does private adoptions. I would call him if we were doing a private adoption. I think his fee was around $900 (we didn't have to pay). You could call you local family courthouse to ask which adoption attorneys practice in your area.

I hope it all works out for you. Sending pixie dust...

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

I am an adoption attorney in GA. Your attorney will be doing everything that case workers probably did in the agency adoptions, meeting with BM, dealing with hospital, and the agency attorney would be terminating birth father's rights etc. It should be much cheaper than your agency adoptions, even though you are paying for a birth parent attorney and your own attorney. An average independant adoption in GA would cost a parent less than $5000.00 if they used me, usually around $3,000.00 at an attorney rate of $250.00 per hour. ( assuming birth father does not contest it) Not sure what is involved for Maryland to finalize. An agency adoption in GA would run $20-$30,000. Now I am in a more rural part of GA it would be more in Atlanta. Please be sure that you are using an attorney that is very experienced in adoptions a nd not someone you know from something else. Adoptions are all about the right paperwork and you really need an expert. It will cost you less in the long run to avoid possible mistakes, not to mention that nothing is more important than your family. You don't want to hear that the birth mother signed the wrong forms. Other costs in GA that may occur in Maryland are court home evaluation fees, background checks( capped at $250.00 in GA) I used to handle evey kind of adoption, now I handle exclusively foster children and an occasional independant when I am not busy. I work part time to support my Disney addiction. Congratulations! I have the best job in the world! I love adoptions!

 

[Jenn4615]

thank you both!!
we are using an an Attorney that is in the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, and from what I hear she really knows her stuff!
She's 300 an hour that sorda scares me! Cause I am envisioning 9000 hours being billed! LOL But, your pretty close in your hourly rate... so can't possibly be that much more..
Originally I had figured in the 5000 range, and then I started reading the internet and thats just scaring me! LOL So I was freaking that I didn't have my appointment for 2 more weeks with the attorney! So thank you for that!
Our agency fees are the same here in MD... UGH, can't afford to do that route a third time thats for sure! Bdad is actually married to Birthmom, so thats not going to be a problem!! Thank goodness!
Anyway thank you both you have put my racing mind at ease!!

 

[mommytobug]

Adoptive mom here! open adoption and happened a lot like yours is. Make sure your attorney knows the adoption laws (you have already) and let the attorney guide the way. Make sure she has a "counseling session" to document her choices. .We paid for the agency rep for the hours she spent which was not much, paid for the attorney and also the bill at hospital which was not much because she had her parent's insurance.

Just do not get involved with an agency that wants a huge fee, they have not done any of the work with this and should only be paid for hours they spend. We have lost thousands to failed adoptions.

Congrats!!!!!!

 

[mom2mikel]

No advice, just CONGRATS!!!

 

[Belle5]

How exciting! Congratulations on your upcoming arrival!

 

[Jenn4615]

Thank You guys! I am SOOOO EXCITED!!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

OMGosh!! How exciting!! Congrats!

 

[Jenn4615]

OMGosh!! How exciting!! Congrats!

Oh Congrats to you!!! I see your awesome ticker!

 

[dhardawa]

My son is adopted through foster care. My attorney did a lot of extra work (terminating on the birth father, post adoption visitation agreement, etc.) and I think her final bill at the end was around $1,900. My state pays up to $1,500 and I'm guessing she wrote off the other $400 because I was never billed the remainder (and I called to ask if my account was at a $0 balance because she was doing some work for my with my daughter's father at the same time and I wanted to make sure everything was paid).

 

[3girlsfun]

Congrats!!! I am so excited for you. We have 3 DD's, and I am dreaming of a 4th and final. I just don't think my body can handle it. So, I would love to adopt in the near future! So, hearing your story just excites me to no end!

Hugs and pixie dust to you!