Hiring an adoption lawyer can be a great idea, but you have to ask a couple questions first. After all, adopting a child is a huge life change, and should be approached as cautiously as possible. It’s not the sort of thing that should ever be rushed.
Here are just a few of the questions to ask family law attorneys before signing them on to help you adopt.
What Are Your Qualifications?
One of the first things you need to ask a potential attorney is about their experience. How long have they been an attorney? How long have they focused on adoptions? How many non-relative adoptions have they helped take care of? How many this year in particular? You want to find an attorney who has at least 10 years of experience working on adoptions, and devotes between 50-100% of their practice on adoptions, which suggests that they’re an expert.
What Is Your Philosophy?
You’re going to want to have a good, working relationship with your attorney. You need to be on the same page as them. Ask them about their general philosophy about adoptions, and what their feelings on openness are.
How Much Will It All Cost?
Although you want the best adoption lawyer money can buy, most can’t afford such a legal expert. That doesn’t mean you should settle for less, though. You just need to find a legal expert worth their fee. Find out how much it might cost to keep them on retainer, if they require an advance, if they charge a flat rate or by the hour, and — most importantly — how much.
Adoption attorneys can help you navigate your way through the complex bureaucracy surrounding the adoption of a child, but you can’t just pick any family law attorney out there. Asking these questions first will help you find an attorney who can help you.
If you have any questions about finding a family law attorney, feel free to share in the comments.