Anyone Have Insight on Child Adoption?

Corn is not dog food! No wheat!

You'll need to find (and pay) an adoption attorney. There may also be court fees. Couple hundred dollars tops, certainly not in the thousands.

Look in the phone book for an attorney. Find one that offers free consultations. They'll give you some advise, and break down some of the costs involved.

Dr Karen

Since she is your friend and not your blood, it may get tough. In every state- anyone can go down to the local family court without an attorney and get a petition for custody of any child. The courts will decide on temporary custody first. Caution though since your not a blood relative family the court could place the child with someone else. If you are married and the woman tells them your husband is the father they could give him the baby without a blood test and you become the legal stepmother first. DNA is when a parent denys the child but not when a man claims the child. After time you can petition to be the legal mother. What if you raise the baby for years and she decides she wants the baby back? If she knows where the baby is, she will come back. Could you handle giving it back?

John V

if the birth mom tells them in the hospital that she plans to give the baby up (this can be to a specific person) they will have a state social worker step in. Youll have to go through a home study and paper work but you can be a foster parent to the child while this is going on. you will come out at the end with a fully legal adoption. or call a family lawyer and pay out the A$$

Possum

If these people are friends - then you should look after their best interests - and this child - and make sure they and you read this -
http://www.cubirthparents.org/booklet.pdf
They need their own lawyer - and so do you.
If you are a good friend - you should try to help them parent - instead of trying to break up their family.
I've lived separated from my bio family - because everyone thought it was the best thing - but it hurt - a lot - and if it really doesn't need to happen - it shouldn't.
If you do go ahead - please please please - allow this child to know - in person - the family that he/she is related to.
A child needs to see & hear those that look, act and have talents like them.
It's hard being raised by genetic strangers.
Please also be aware that most US states change birth certificates after adoption - stating that the adoptive parents gave birth to the child - and the originals are locked away forever.
Allow this child to have a copy of the original before that happens. It is the right thing to do.
No child would ever ask to be seperated from the family they are born to. Adoption is made of decisions by adults - without any real thought about what the child would really really want.
This child would really really want you to help his/her parents to parent.
I'm just saying - because this child will most likely never get a say.
I wish you all well.

Damocles

I adopted through an agency, but in the state of Nebraska, I still have to go through court proceedings. My legal fees were about $600. Mind you, some of the work that the lawyer needs to turn into the court as done by my adoption agency, so if you don't have an adoption agency, then your lawyer might have to do more work.

Yes, a good part of your $20,000 to $30,000 fees is medical or perhaps providing some needs of the birth mother (she needs prenatal vitamins, maybe even some help with food so the baby is healthy, etc.).

The father is on board. That's great too. Another expense that is commonly incurred is trying to track down the birth father and get his consent. This can be particularly difficult if the birth father was a one night stand, has moved out of state, etc. You don't necessarily have to find him, but you may have to prove you made a good faith effort to do so.

Ask a lawyer what they charge for this kind of thing. Talk to an adoption agency. Mine actually will work with these kinds of adoptions (where you know the birth family), and will make sure all the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed. Even if you don't decide to go through an adoption agency, but decide to just go with a lawyer, ask around at some adoption agencies who they recommend for an adoption lawyer. Frankly, they've been through many an adoption, they've seen what can happen when the paperwork gets messed up, and so they know who is good and who isn't.

One benefit of going through an agency is that often times they will provide some education, counciling, and support groups. Your friend may not truely realize what it is going to be like to place her baby with you after birth and all those hormones kick in.

It doesn't hurt to talk. Ask around and make an informed decision.

shizzle

you DEFINITELY need to have your *OWN* lawyer....he or she can best advise you of what you need to do and review any papers that your friend has had drawn up - don't sign *anything* until you speak with a lawyer....and don't take the baby without any legal papers being reviewed by your lawyer and signed...

btw, if you don't have a lot of money, many lawyers will lower their fees in such situations - or, you can simply pay for a one-time session to have your basic questions answered, and possibly also pay for them to review any papers that have been drawn up by the other party and/or their lawyer.

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