[mamachell]

In about 2 weeks our adoptions worker is coming out for us to sign adoptive/adoption paperwork. She also sent us a list of attorneys and info about the adoption subsidy. I'm a little confuse about what I'm supposed to be signing and how to get the attorney involved. I think for some reason this is happening way faster than I thought. She did say I need to get an attorney now and that the cost should be 300 to 400 dollars but that it would be reimbursed.

So what what types of documents will I be signing? Anything I should be worried about? Did your attorney review the paperwork before signing it? Also when did your payments change from foster to adopt (adopt is less I know but I don't care at this point)?

Plus, what's the situation if an appeal comes up (none filed yet but ...)?

Thanks for any info.

[Yash]

Originally Posted by mamachell

In about 2 weeks our adoptions worker is coming out for us to sign adoptive/adoption paperwork. She also sent us a list of attorneys and info about the adoption subsidy. I'm a little confuse about what I'm supposed to be signing and how to get the attorney involved. I think for some reason this is happening way faster than I thought. She did say I need to get an attorney now and that the cost should be 300 to 400 dollars but that it would be reimbursed.

So what what types of documents will I be signing? Anything I should be worried about? Did your attorney review the paperwork before signing it? Also when did your payments change from foster to adopt (adopt is less I know but I don't care at this point)?

Plus, what's the situation if an appeal comes up (none filed yet but ...)?

Thanks for any info.

I've never heard of anyone hiring an attorney before they sign and I had a friend sign a couple of weeks ago.
Usually you sign the paperwork before you hire the attorney with the CW and the adoption worker there answering any questions you may have.

The paperwork includes the new birth certificate that you fill out, I believe medical release paperwork. I can't remember all besides the BC, I just know the paperwork is in either doubles or triplicate.

CHECK ALL SPELLINGS with a fine tooth comb. Even though I spelled out Rowan's name on the phone, on voicemail, and sent her an email, she still got Rowan's name wrong on all the paperwork. So I was so busy with that I missed she misspelled my last name, but spelled it right for Rowan one line down.

I think I have a post where I vented about it and decided monkeys secretly live in the DCF offices and when the CWs leave their desks, these cute little chimps try to help out by doing the CWs' paperwork. You know how you come back to your desk surprised you had done some work, you don't remember doing. That's how it is for them. Unfortunately they are monkeys which means their typing skills aren't that great, but on the upside- - typing monkeys!!!! Amazing!

Double check all the spellings.

Because DCF and the govt are so great, the adoption subsidy begins the moment you sign the adoption paperwork. So you'll be pro-rated for the days for the foster care subsidy and then the adoption subsidy.

How close are you to your 60 days being up? For Jory I signed a week before the appeal period was up and for Rowan I signed after. Of course if there is an appeal, then everything is put on hold. Last year, I heard as long as the parents aren't claiming they are Native American appeals take about 6 - 7 months and are very, very rarely overturned. Though I don't think you have any worries in your case.

I'll PM you the names of the attorneys I used. They are well known in the court system and have great reputations. All you have to do is say, I'm so and so and I just signed adoption paperwork, their assistants take it from there. I met both attorneys at the court house the day of finalization.

The attorneys will have you sign a piece of paper that is for the reimbursement, after the finalization hearing. They send in the paper themselves. FYI - reimbursement is taking a year, I've heard, which is probably true since Rowan finalized on January 13 and I haven't seen a check yet.

[parenting-over-40]

What paperwork are you talking about? Paperwork from your agency or from CPS?

I signed paperwork with my agency after TPR but before I had chosen an attorney. It was minimal paperwork just to start moving the case from foster to adoption. I could fill that all out at any point in time before or after appeal time (I had to wait 90 days) was up. I chose to fill out the paperwork before the 90 days. Not much was done before the appeal time was over but it did get the ball rolling.

There was additional paperwork to sign with my attorney and then more to sign with CPS. I signed my final paperwork with CPS (attorney was not present) 2 days before the adoption. At that point, the case changed from foster to adoption and the payment changed. I am not sure what exactly has to be in place before the case changes from foster to adoption payment. My daughter didn't have a birth certificate with her legal name or social security number until 48 hours before adoption. So, I know that is what held us up on changing over. If that makes sense!

[mamachell]

Yeah I think it's just the first paperwork from the DCFS office to officially make it an adoptive placement I think. As for the attorney I think I'm just supposed to investigate and get one lined up.

[mommytoEli]

we never hired an atty in CA. i didn't see the need for one really. even when we had to fill out our own adoption packet for the courts, it was pretty easy....definitely didn't require an attorney. i'm not telling you NOT to get one....just saying it is possible to not have one.

to me, the paperwork was pretty clear cut- you are adopting this child, you will care for this child, this is what you will do, this is what we will do- amount of subsidy, etc.

[Yash]

Originally Posted by mommytoEli

we never hired an atty in CA. i didn't see the need for one really. even when we had to fill out our own adoption packet for the courts, it was pretty easy....definitely didn't require an attorney. i'm not telling you NOT to get one....just saying it is possible to not have one.

to me, the paperwork was pretty clear cut- you are adopting this child, you will care for this child, this is what you will do, this is what we will do- amount of subsidy, etc.

I didn't know that was even an option. I was told even five years ago that I either hired a private attorney or I would get a state appointed one. My paralegal friend urged me to get a private attorney.

[mommytoEli]

yash- it might depend on your county. we worked with 2- in the first, they did all of the *paperwork for the court, suggested we didn't get an atty, and we didn't need one. this was 5 years ago, and last year. the second county was also 5 years ago.... they said we needed an atty, even gave us a card of someone they recommended, and told us it would cost 400 per kid. we asked why we needed an atty, and they told us he would fill out and prepare the adoption paperwork for the court. we asked if we could do it ourselves, and learned we could. all the forms are online at a CA site California Courts: Self-Help Center: Families & Children: Adoption: Independent, Agency, or Foreign Adoptions in California . it took us minutes to fill out each one- i think there were 3 or 4. then we took them to the court house ourselves to register them and got a court date right then. in addition to saving money (i know you get reimbured.....eventually) i think we also saved ourselves time because we filled out the paperwork right away in the county library across the street from the courthouse the DAY the judge approved adoptive placement and the appeals period ran out. lol.

since we were now experts, when we re-adopted our child that we adopted internationally, we also filed our own paperwork at the court. again an attorney wanted 400 or more dollars to file for us. we printed out the forms from the above site, wrote a legal cover letter of sorts, paid TWENTY dollars, and filed for the adoption ourselves!

(*by paperwork i mean the actual stuff that goes to the court...provided in the link above. just for the benefit of those reading who haven't done this yet, there is actually ANOTHER packet of paperwork you will get from your agency or county in charge of the child that you will sign BEFORE the adoption in regards to name changes, subsidy, etc. i imagine you would only need an attorney for this part if you wanted him/her to review the documents before you signed. )

[Yash]

Originally Posted by mommytoEli

yash- it might depend on your county. we worked with 2- in the first, they did all of the *paperwork for the court, suggested we didn't get an atty, and we didn't need one. this was 5 years ago, and last year. the second county was also 5 years ago.... they said we needed an atty, even gave us a card of someone they recommended, and told us it would cost 400 per kid. we asked why we needed an atty, and they told us he would fill out and prepare the adoption paperwork for the court. we asked if we could do it ourselves, and learned we could. all the forms are online at a CA site California Courts: Self-Help Center: Families & Children: Adoption: Independent, Agency, or Foreign Adoptions in California . it took us minutes to fill out each one- i think there were 3 or 4. then we took them to the court house ourselves to register them and got a court date right then. in addition to saving money (i know you get reimbured.....eventually) i think we also saved ourselves time because we filled out the paperwork right away in the county library across the street from the courthouse the DAY the judge approved adoptive placement and the appeals period ran out. lol.

since we were now experts, when we re-adopted our child that we adopted internationally, we also filed our own paperwork at the court. again an attorney wanted 400 or more dollars to file for us. we printed out the forms from the above site, wrote a legal cover letter of sorts, paid TWENTY dollars, and filed for the adoption ourselves!

(*by paperwork i mean the actual stuff that goes to the court...provided in the link above. just for the benefit of those reading who haven't done this yet, there is actually ANOTHER packet of paperwork you will get from your agency or county in charge of the child that you will sign BEFORE the adoption in regards to name changes, subsidy, etc. i imagine you would only need an attorney for this part if you wanted him/her to review the documents before you signed. )

Wow! I did my own int'l readoption and it was a breeze. We're going to court on the 22nd to readopt Layla. Yippee!! It would be nice if LA County allowed the adoption process to be as smooth and easy as the readoption process.

[mommytoEli]

boo LA county then....bc if you did your own readopt, you could have done your fost/adopt....it was basically the same forms and procedures. lol. (we were riverside and orange county.....it kills me that counties can touch eachother and have COMPLETELY different sets of rules!)

yeah on your readopt...have fun. isn't it nice when you get to the end?