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The agency was just liscenced to start domestic adoptions with this sw as the head contact running the division. They still provide international adoptions and the domestic adoptions was a new area, we have not signed a contract because we were their first adoption (they were still working those areas out the birthmother just came along very quickly before their were set up in some areas) we did not pay any money that was to happen at placement. The meeting (birthparents)and choosing processs happened during their liscencing stage. We paid for the homestudy only - of which we have a copy.
Our lawyer filed papers with the court to appoint our SW to take relinquishment (he said he could do it himself yet the birthmother lives two hours away and since the sw has handled everything as the agent up until this point we did not want to disrupt that relationship with the birthmother plus this is our first adoption and we have never been through the process before and it will be nice to have her guiddence.).
I hope this clears things up basically she will be appointed by the court to take relinquishment and she will be at the hospital throughout the delivery and do the one post placement visit and any counseling needed. My question was what is the reasonable fee for this since we will be discussing it I would like some knowledge of what others have paid so that I have a guideline.
Thank You for your responses the $1000 seems reasonable and much like our situation although it is an unusual one I am sure that some people have had independent social workers which follow the adoption and become an advocate for everyone involved who is knowledgeable of the adoption laws and will assist us with all of the "details" you do not know about. I know we could complete this without our sw yet I feel she has made an extra effort for us although their have been problems with the stabilities of the programs we have been guided to I do know she cares about all of the parties involved and it is not my nature to abandon someone who has worked diligently for us (one of the reasons we continued with her after the first agency closed their program due to low numbers of birthmothers limiting the adoptions to very few a year).
I hope this clears everything up I know it is an unusual situation but it is how this whole process has gone for us. A sidenote is that we choose to go this route also because of the number of birthmothers brought into the state for relinquishment for a majority of the adoptions yet this agency was the only one which practiced only placing true resident birthmothers so that their would be no issues with out of state laws or birthmothers who were away from their families and friends while making the biggest decision of their lives. Although the wait is much longer it was the only option we were comfortable with.
Thank You
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