Why Hire an Adoption Attorney? [Pros and Cons]

Adoption attorneys are certified adoption legal experts who work with you to finalize your adoption, protect your legal rights, and resolve any legal issues that may threaten to disrupt your adoption. Working with an experienced attorney is the best way to secure the legal aspects of your adoption, ensuring your adoption process is as smooth as possible.

Working with an experienced adoption attorney can ensure a smooth and legally sound process. Though they are central to the adoption process, you may not know what adoption attorneys cost, what they do or why you need one.

Working with a full service agency is the best way to make sure all your bases are covered. To make sure you have the resources you need for your adoption, contact us today.

This guide will give you a brief overview of the adoption attorney’s role in your adoption process. Stick around to the end where we’ll show you how to find adoption attorneys near you.

What is an Adoption Attorney?

An adoption attorney is a trained, licensed attorney who specializes in the legal process of adoptions. Commonly these professionals are employed by adoption agencies or adoption law firms, but they can also operate individually.

While adoption attorneys may not feature prominently in your adoption process, every adoption in the US involves an adoption attorney at some point. Considering this, it’s a good idea to know exactly what an Adoption Attorney does and why they’re so important to the process.

The Role Of Adoption Attorneys

The role of adoption attorneys in Indiana can vary depending on the type of adoption you’re pursuing.

If you’re going through adoption with an agency like American Adoptions of Indiana, the attorney’s role will be handling the legal complexities that your adoption coordinator cannot handle on their own. This includes representing you during your adoption finalization hearing.

If you want to set up an independent adoption on your own, you’ll also need to hire an attorney for the finalization process, unless you’re comfortable representing yourself, which is considered generally ill-advised.

Some adoption attorneys offer to lead your entire adoption process, though this is much less comprehensive than working with an agency. Contact us for help finding local, reputable adoption attorneys.

How Much Does an Adoption Attorney Cost in Indiana?

The cost of working with adoption attorneys in Indiana can fluctuate. Attorneys have different rates, and charge per hour. The uncertainty of pricing structure may be one reason to work with an adoption agency, as the attorney fees are incorporated into the flat rate.

Can I File Adoption Papers Without an Attorney?

Yes, you can complete an adoption without an adoption attorney by choosing to represent yourself in court. However, this is strongly discouraged. Let’s break down the reasons why:

• Harm To Your Legal Rights: As a non-attorney, you most likely won’t know all the requirements surrounding finalizing an adoption. This could result in the de facto forfeiture of some of your legal rights. For example, if the paperwork around the birth parent’s parental rights is incomplete, mistimed, or has mistakes present, the finalization process could get very complicated.
• Failure To Finish Your Case: If you choose to represent yourself in court, you must abide by all court rules, format all your submissions properly, and generally live up to the standards of the court. If the court rules and standards are not met, it could block you from finishing your finalization hearing.
• Possible Nullification Of Your Adoption: Your finalization hearing could be discontinued for many reasons, even small clerical mistakes in your filing. If this happens, it’s up to the court how to proceed, but you will not be given parental rights to your child. In most cases, the judge will order the child returned to the birth parent, placed with a biological family member, or placed in foster care.

Considering the possible consequences of complete independent adoption, most families choose to enlist an attorney, law firm, or adoption agency early on in their process, to address legal concerns before they begin.

How to Find Adoption Attorneys in Indiana

The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) is an organization with a long history and a thorough vetting program. We’ve included the cities they primarily practice in, so you can choose an adoption attorney near you. The licensed Indiana adoption attorneys they recommend are:

AAAA maintains a list of reputable attorneys licensed in each state. You can find their list for Indiana, or browse other information about adoption attorneys on their website.

American Adoptions of Indianan works with the attorneys listed above. If you’re putting together your adoption team and need a full-service adoption agency with risk protection programs and individual, personalized support, reach out to us today.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.