Thanks for considering me as your adult adoption attorney. I understand you not only want quality and ethical legal services, but you also want a fair price. Even better, you want to know the exact price in advance, so there are no unpleasant surprises. I'm happy to tell you about my very transparent legal fees.
My Flat Fee
Most attorneys charge hourly, and sadly they are not cheap. The average hourly fee is between $350-$450. Imagine how fast that can add up. The worse part is that many attorneys ask for a low retainer, then when the adoption is done, you get an unanticipated additional bill because "The case took longer than expected," or "We ran into a few delays." Adding insult to injury, most attorneys charge you their out-of-pocket costs on your case: everything from mileage to court fees.
I don't charge hourly. I charge a flat fee of $2,250. That's it. The complete total. Out of my fee I pay the court filing fee, the amended birth certificate fee (if the adoptee is electing to have one) and any costs I incur. Also, there is no additional charge for what some attorneys consider "extras", such as additional pleadings when the adoptee does not want their current parent's parental rights to be terminated by the adoption. If you are adopting siblings, the second adoptee's adoption is reduced to $1,850.
My Fee Agreement / Retainer
If you have ever hired an attorney you know many have retainers with tiny type and about ten pages long. They are impossible to read or understand. Maybe that's the intent. My retainer is one page. Easy to read and simple language. Attorneys should make things easy for their clients, not more complicated.
My Free Consultation
Many attorneys offer free consultations, but often they give you little true value. It is typically a short Meet and Greet. You don't walk away with substantive knowledge about adult adoption. My consultations are very detailed. I cover every aspect of the process and take the time to answer all your questions. I try to make sure my adult adoption clients are fully informeded about all aspects of adult adoption.
I do the consultation by Zoom, so you can conveniently do it from your home or office. The consultation takes 30-40 minutes and it is for both the adopting parent(s) and the adoptee.
How to Choose an Adoption Attorney
I'll give you a peek behind the curtain, my opinion anyway. . .
Lawyers like to impress you with membership in certain Trial Lawyer Associations or similar affiliations, local County Bar membership, et cetera. Don't be impressed. These are usually just plaques and membership any lawyer can buy. It is purchased credibility.
What really counts is what their past clients say. How many reviews from respected sites do they have? Take the time to actually read their reviews. See if the cases that the attorney got good reviews for were for the same kind of case as yours. It means little if they were for another area of law.
Do they charge hourly? If so, will they guarantee their fee will not go over a certain amount? Adult adoption is not like divorce or child custody cases where litigation against other parties is involved. Adult adoption is a detailed documentary process, but without opposition. In other words, there are few if any surprises. So there is no reason the attorney can't give you a guaranteed price, including court costs and other fees. Even better is if they have a simple flat fee, guaranteed in writing.
What about their retainer (aka fee agreement)? Does it clearly outline what they will do for you, or does it just protect the attorney against claims by you? Is it of reasonable length and written in easy-to-understand everyday language, or it it too complicated or too lengthy to understand? Take the time to read it. Don't just sign it.
If you have not already done so, you can read about the laws and procedures in adopting by clicking the button below.
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I hope this information was helpful to you. When you are ready to set a consultation please complete the online Adult Adoption Questionnaire, click "submit", and I'll promptly contact you to schedule your consultation. Best wishes until then.