What Does an Adoption Lawyer Do?

An adoption lawyer helps his clients with the legal aspects of adopting a child or relinquishing rights to a biological child so that others can adopt him. A person with this title may help his clients consider the costs of adopting as well as the legal ramifications of different types of adoption. He may prepare, review, and file paperwork involved in adoption proceedings and provide in-person representation in court. If something goes wrong during the adoption process, a person with this title typically helps his clients deal with the changes in keeping with the laws in their jurisdiction.

Adoption can be a complex process and usually requires the help of an attorney who is well versed in adoption law. Some people enlist the help of general lawyers who are willing to handle adoption cases while others choose to hire lawyers who specialize in adoption. In some cases, a person may use an attorney who is recommended by an adoption agency he’s working with while others may prefer to hire an attorney on their own.

An adoption lawyer may help people with the legal paperwork and processes required with different types of adoption. For example, this type of attorney may help a person with domestic or international adoption, open or closed adoption, adoptions involving surrogate mothers, and cases in which it is difficult to obtain the consent of one of the biological parents. Since different types of adoption may involve different laws and jurisdiction-specific requirements, the services of an adoption lawyer can be critical to ensuring that an adoption is legal and that the entire process goes smoothly.

Part of an adoption lawyer’s job is helping his clients understand and consider the costs involved with adopting. In the case of a private adoption, for example, the adopting parents may cover many of the expenses the biological parents have during the process. It is typically the adoption lawyer’s job to not only help with negotiating expense payments and creating contracts that detail how these financial matters will be handled, but also ensuring that the adopting parents agree to pay only for those things that are considered legal adoption expenses in their jurisdiction.

An adoption lawyer may also help with terminating the rights of the biological parents in an adoption case. He may also manage the legal process to ensure that the transfer of parental rights to the biological parents is handled in a timely and efficient manner. When a surrogate is involved in an adoption case, an adoption lawyer may also handle the paperwork and court filings, ensuring that the new parents and their child can begin their lives together with all of the legal requirements accounted for and handled properly.