There are many types of adoption professionals that offer a wide range of adoption services – including adoption law firms, adoption law centers, adoption facilitators and local and national adoption agencies.

An adoption law firm can effectively handle the legal implications of an adoption, but they do not offer many of the adoption services that are provided by other adoption professionals, namely national adoption agencies.

For Birth Mothers

Birth mothers who have already chosen an adoptive family may decide that an adoption law firm can effectively complete the adoption. In such cases, an adoption law firm may be the right adoption professional for them.

However, most pregnant women considering adoption have not yet picked an adoptive family and often do not have the finances or believe that they need a counselor to help them through the adoption process.

Many adoption law firms require the birth mother to search for the adoptive family herself by looking through advertisements in newspapers or on the Internet and then calling the families directly. While some birth mothers may be comfortable with this method, others often find themselves overwhelmed with this process and prefer to have an adoption professional help them locate an adoptive family.

Adoption law firms also often do not have a Social Services Department that counsels prospective birth mothers. Most adoption law firms utilize a paralegal as the support system for the birth mother or have the birth mother find and pay for a qualified counselor herself.

Some birth mothers may believe that they are not in need of counseling, however a qualified adoption counselor can provide birth mothers a great benefit in helping them to process their emotions throughout the adoption process, help them determine what qualities they want in an adoptive family for their baby, help her prepare for the emotions she will face at the hospital and provide support after the adoptive placement.

Finally, adoption law firms usually do not have a 24-hour service for birth mothers, and because of this are not accessible to birth parents after business hours, on the weekends or on holidays.

A successful adoption requires more than quality legal work, so it is recommended that birth mothers only choose an adoption law firm if they already have named the adoptive family, have sought counseling and have an excellent support system.

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Where Should I Start?  

Creating Your Adoption Plan

Preparing for Your Choice of Adoption Professional

For Adoptive Families

An adoption law firm also may be a choice for an adoptive family who has already located a birth mother and simply needs the legal aspect of the adoption handled.

However, most adoptive families do not begin the adoption process with a birth mother and do need assistance in locating potential birth parents. Often, families who choose an adoption law firm must spend additional monies and place advertisements on their own in print publications and online to locate birth parents. They also must be prepared to field phone calls and inquiries from potential birth parents answering their ads.

While some adoptive families are comfortable placing their own ads and fielding inquiries from potential birth parents, other families may prefer an adoption professional who handles all of the advertising and birth parent inquiries for them, such as a national adoption agency. National adoption agencies often receive discounts on advertisements and therefore are able to advertise their families in all 50 states, analyze their marketing strategies and counsel birth mothers who inquire about creating an adoption plan for their baby.

In addition to advertising expenses, adoptive families must pay the adoption law firm an hourly rate, so the longer the adoption takes to complete, the more money the family spends. Adoption law firms may provide rough estimates on how much the adoption will cost, but families choosing an adoption law firm should be prepared as families often pay more than the original estimate given once the adoption is finalized.

Proper birth mother counseling and support should also be considered when deciding between an adoption law firm and other adoption professionals. It is a normal for birth mothers to waver in their decision whether or not to place their child for adoption and experience many highs and lows throughout the adoption process – which birth mothers often do not experience during normal business hours.  A trained adoption counselor that is available 24-hours a day can help the birth mother process her feelings and support her in her adoption plan, while also help prepare her for the emotions she will face at the hospital and after the adoptive placement. Without adequate support, this can result in a disrupted adoption, meaning the adoptive family must begin the adoption process over again.

Also, just as birth mothers need 24-hour assistance, adoptive families often do as well. Adoption law firms often are not accessible to adoptive families outside of normal business hours.

For more information, visit:

Choosing an Adoption Professional – Adoption Law Firms

When Should You Hire an Attorney for Your Adoption Process?

Deciding on a Domestic Adoption Professional