How it works
The road from first call to signed order
Every family's route is a little different, but it runs through the same five stops.
- 01
Step 1: You reach out
Tell me where things stand. I'll say whether I can help, and I'll point you to someone else if I can't.
- 02
Step 2: We make a plan
I explain the steps for your kind of family, what each one costs and how long it tends to take.
- 03
Step 3: You sign an agreement
My fee agreement is in writing. Nothing starts, and no fee is owed, until you've read and signed it.
- 04
Step 4: I handle the paperwork and the court
Consents, agreements, petitions and hearings, with you told what's coming before it comes.
- 05
Step 5: The order is signed
We cover the new birth certificate and the records to update. Then it's your family's story again, not a file.
Costs
What goes to me, and what goes to others
The numbers depend on the case, so I write them out for yours before you commit. Here is how they divide.
Paid to this office
My legal fee, quoted in writing for each stage. It covers drafting, filing, preparing you and appearing with you in court.
Paid to others
Court filing fees, the home study, agency and clinic charges, background checks and medical costs. They're separate from my fee, and I list the ones I expect.
Only if it comes up
A lawyer in another state, translations, extra hearings or travel. I'll ask before adding any of them.
Good to know
What this office doesn't do
I don't find birth parents, match children with families or recruit surrogates. Agencies, clinics and licensed providers do that, and I'm glad to work next to them.
I also can't promise how a consent, a court or a timeline will turn out. What I can promise is that you'll hear what I know, as soon as I know it.
Not an adoption agency
No outcome promised
No fee owed before you sign
Whenever you're ready to begin
Write or call and we'll begin with a conversation, not a form.
Please don't send confidential details through the form.