Adoption cases are some of the most common cases that a family law attorney will undertake, mostly because he or she can help you avoid a few potential risks that can occur when you are trying to adopt. Below are two vitally important reasons to utilize a family attorney if you are considering adoption.
Avoid Adoption Agency Fraud
While there are many legitimate and outstanding adoption agencies out there that can help you adopt a child, there are also individuals that prey on people who are trying to adopt a child. These people will often offer to help you find a child, sometimes going so far as to show you pictures and bios of available children, only to disappear completely once they have your money. This type of fraudulent adoption agency is usually most common when attempting to adopt from another country, but it is still common to run across these scams domestically.
However, a family attorney is one of the best resources available for weeding out these scams and finding the best adoption agencies to work with. One reason for this is that your attorney will have a list of adoption agencies that he or she has been in contact with for prior cases. As a result, your attorney can simply provide you with the contact information for a legitimate agency.
Another way that the attorney can help you avoid potential scams is by researching an adoption agency before you begin paying and working with the agency. The attorney will be able to let you know if you can proceed safely with the adoption process or look elsewhere for a reputable agency.
Prevent You From Losing Money
A private adoption can be a risky endeavor due in no small part to the fact that you will often have to agree to pay for a pregnant woman's medical expenses in order to adopt the child when he or she is born. The reason for the risk is that the pregnant woman can change her mind and choose to keep the child at any time during the pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. If this happens, there is not a lot that you can do to get custody of the child and you could lose all of the money that you spent on medical expenses.
However, a family attorney can help prevent the financial losses by ensuring that you and the pregnant woman sign a contract listing out everyone's obligations. If the pregnant woman chooses to keep her child then you can take her to court in order to get a judge to order her to repay you for the medical expenses that you paid.
Contact a family law firm or attorney today to discuss how they can assist you with your upcoming adoption. By utilizing a family law attorney, you can ensure that your adoption proceeds as smoothly and risk-free as possible.
