Adoption attorneys represent clients who wish to adopt a minor child or an adult. They may represent prospective adoptive parents, birth mothers and fathers and adoption agencies to facilitate placement and create a new parent-child relationship.

Function

Adoption attorneys are responsible for preparing adoption petitions, overseeing birth parent consents, terminating birth parent rights, advising clients of their legal rights and appearing in court on behalf of the party they represent.

Types

Adoption attorneys handle private and public agency domestic adoptions as well as parental placement and step-parent adoptions. They may also work with families using assisted reproductive technologies such as surrogates, gestational carriers and egg donors.

Benefits

Although many families are able to prepare their own paperwork with the assistance of the court, social workers and agency representatives, retaining an adoption attorney can ensure that the family is in compliance with the law and help them better understand their rights.

Considerations

All birth mothers and birth fathers are entitled to representation by an adoption attorney prior to relinquishing their child. In some states, the prospective adoptive family may be allowed to cover the adoption lawyer's fees.

Warning

In most U.S. states, adoption attorneys who are not affiliated with a licensed agency may not facilitate adoptions.

Source:

American Academy of Adoption Attorneys: Retaining an Attorney

FindLaw: Types of Adoption