[chacho]

I am hoping that someone out here can either give me an answer or a way to find out.

A birthparent found us! She has no affiliation with an agency whatsoever. We are in the process of finding a lawyer. However, my hubby and I were curious as to what this will cost us. We realize that lawyers vary with fees, but even a ballpark figure would help us out so we knew how to prepare ourselves.

I feel that this is an unusual situation, not to mention complicated. We didn't have to advertise, or anything like that. We haven't completed our homestudy yet either.

We're excited and overwhelmed. HELP!

[iss36]

Have you started your homestudy yet? home study will run anywhere from 1000 to 1500. Our home study cost 1500. For as atty goes ifI am not sure. my suggestion would be to call a couple in your area. Is the birth mom and you from Indiana? If so that will help on cost Our atty was pretty expensive. I think it all depends the situation. If what city do you live in?
kim

[chacho]

I don't mean to sound ignorant, but what is an atty? We are still working on the adoption terminology.

Thankfully, the mother is just north of us (still in Indiana) so there won't be travel costs or anything like that.

We briefly spoke to a lawyer this morning and they are calling us back this afternoon with further information.

We do know that ** has full insurance coverage, which is WAY good.

Thanks for responding to my post!

[pveazie]

Chacho,
Can your homestudy agency recommend a lawyer?

Kirsh and Kirsh of Indianapolis does take clients who have already found the birthmother. Don't know the cost .Their website is: http://www.indianaadoption.com/welcome.html

I would check the costs from multiple lawyers in the state. At the following link http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/state/Indiana
you can select the region of Indiana and select the type of lawyer(family law) to see other lawyers in your area.

Good luck to you! I am internationally adopting, so I don't know local attorney costs. "Atty" in the previous post stands for attorney.

[laucks]

Hi! Atty is short for attorney. If you are anywhere near the Fort Wayne area, I know a good lawyer who does adoptions and is pretty cheap. We didn't use him because he doesn't find birthmothers for you. He does all the work once you find one yourself, which is the exact situation you are in.

We used Kirsh and Kirsh in Indy, because they will find bmoms for you. I hope this helps. If you want to email me directly, feel free. My email is melissa_and_madalyn@yahoo.com

Melissa

[browntap]

Another great attorney is John Herrin. We did not use him because the mom changed her mind, but I called him numerous times for advice and he was very knowledgeable on laws in and out of Indiana. I found his fees very reasonable. He is also a Quad A attorney and in the Indianapolis area. Good luck!

[GreenThumb]

We're using John Herrin as well. He's very kind and non-intimidating and he really knows adoption law. And he seems to listen well and be willing to be flexible.

I think good advice would be to use an attorney who does adoptions routinely. This isn't the time to use a friend's cousin's neighbor to get a discount if s/he's not competent in adoption.

[pveazie]

An adoption agency in Indy also recommends Tom Alvey of Indianapolis to their clients. He has been in business at least 18 years.

[chacho]

Thanks for all of your responses! They were all very helpful.

We decided to go with Kirsch and Kirsch- they were recommended by a lawyer friend of ours.

We got our homestudy information in the mail today, and we are a little confused by it so we are calling the homestudy people tomorrow.

We talked to our liason and we are going to meet the ** soon. Wish us luck!

[chacho]

Apparently, using the initials for the word"birth mother" isn't appropriate. Sorry for any confusion.

[lilnico31]

CHacho, Hi, that is great news... I am happy for you, DO you mind sharing how she found you? We are looking to adopt a baby girl of any race.. any help is apprecaited
thanks
rebecca
nalla@access995.com

[Lena_g]

chacho,
i sent you another private message.

[stevg]

My wife and I have been involved with Kirsh and Kirsh for over two years and we are still childless.

Less than a month ago, a birth mother, who sought out this legal firm, expressed solid intent to place her unborn, baby girl for adoption and selected my wife and I from a stack of Dear Birth Mom letters to consider for adoptive parenting of the child. After 11 weeks. of a wonderful "open" relationship, 21 hours after the child's birth and only 7 hours from the ** signing the consent papers, her mother, stormed the hospital, confused the nurses with her conviction and was brought to the birth mother's room. We were told the next morning, that the ** (a 23 year old mother of one already, I might add) had concealed the pregnancy from her mother until only three weeks before and was attempting to not be responsible for another child that her family did not approve of because of the father's nationality. Her mother however, convinced her to "parent" the baby herself and 18 hours later, my wife and I drove back to Chicago, without our daughter and broken-hearted beyond anything we had ever felt.

Needless to say, the only counseling that was offered by our attorneys 12 question survey before we even met her and they offered, after she made her decision, to send a counseler to the **'s home. Through 11 weeks of 3-4 telephone calls week, some lasting as much as 3 hours, my wife had no indication of the concealment by the **. I can't help but think, that if counseling had been insisted upon, at the very least, our hearts would not have been ripped from our chests because we would have known to walk away from this situation. At the very best, we might have been parents and that little girl would not be living on welfare.

I would also like to add that counseling would have been soley paid for by us. So why wasn't it insisted upon.