745 1st Ave  Columbus, GA 31901 Phone (706) 324-4607

Home |  Questions and Answers Concerning Adoption  | Our Location | Columbus Info | Legal Forms |Contact Us  

Frequently Asked Questions:

Notice and disclaimer:

None of the information on this website constitutes legal advice. This website is intended to provide general information about adoptions in Georgia. Adoptions involve unique laws which apply to unique circumstances which vary tremendously from family to family. Do not rely on the information on this website as legal advice for your own situation. Instead, you should ask an attorney specific questions which you have concerning adoptions in general or your own situation. We will be happy to answer your questions. You can schedule an initial office conference by clicking the link below.

An adoption is a legal proceeding which results in formation of a new family relationship. In many cases, an adoption involves a married couple who use the legal system to bring a new child into their family. Georgia recognizes six (6) types of adoption: private placement adoptions; agency adoptions; stepparent adoptions; grandparent and other relative adoptions; adoptions of adult people by other adults; and international adoptions. We handle all six (6) types of adoption.

There are many benefits to using an agency to handle your adoption; however, use of an agency is not always necessary. An agency can frequently provide emotional support and counseling to biological parents of adopted children which will make it less likely for these parents to question their adoption decision in the future. Also, agencies can provide valuable advice, counseling and social services to adoptive families. Your attorney will discuss with you whether an agency will be involved in your adoption.

Costs for adoption vary based upon the amount of work which is involved and the complexity of the adoption. Most of our adoptions are handled on an hourly basis which means, basically, that we simply bill hourly for work done on your behalf and your total attorney’s fee will be figured based upon the amount of time which we spend on your case multiplied by our hourly rate. Although we are parents ourselves and we certainly do our best to keep your costs under control, it is important to remember that children are inherently expensive. Costs of an adoption are often characterized as "down payments" against the tremendous cost of raising a child to become a productive adult. When you seek to adopt a child, the Court is required by law to consider your financial ability to raise and care for a child.

There are usually several different types of costs associated with an adoption.

Adoption agency fees are paid to a licensed adoption agency for social work which may be necessary in connection with an adoption placement. It is not always necessary for you to use an adoption agency and costs of agency services vary widely from case-to-case.

Attorney’s fees are professional fees paid to the attorney for handling the legal aspects of the adoption and making sure the adoption is properly finalized. The total amount of attorney’s fees in an adoption will vary based upon the amount of time involved in finalizing the adoption; the skill necessary to handle the adoption; and the overall complexity of the adoption. For example, an uncontested, non-agency adoption in which both biological parents consent and there is no question of paternity can be handled relatively quickly for a relatively modest attorney’s fee.

On the other hand, attorney’s fees can mount quickly if the adoption is opposed by the biological father or by other persons. Our legal firm handles adoptions which are both uncontested, as well as contested adoptions. We have offered representation in contested adoptions in metro Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Columbus, LaGrange and throughout Georgia.

Out-of-pocket expenses are another category of expense which you should anticipate. In addition to paying for social work services and for an attorney’s time, you will also incur expenses for court costs; for photocopying and other similar office expenses which the attorney may incur on your behalf; certified copies of birth certificates and other similar legal documents; and for home studies and Court reports.

These are examples of costs which you can expect in an adoption. Your attorney will be able to give you a range of costs during your initial office conference. An independent adoption can often be handled through our office for fees of less than $3,000.00. Agency fees, as noted, vary widely, but we see plenty of agency fees which exceed $25,000.00, especially for international adoptions. As each adoption case is very unique and personalized, we discuss fees individually and with specific reference to each adoption scenario and do not usually handle adoptions on a "flat fee" basis.

In Georgia, some types of adoptions are handled through adoption agencies. Such adoptions generally involve a fairly expensive assessment and evaluation of the adoptive family’s home, with the adoption agency making written findings and recommendations to the Court. A home study may involve multiple visits to an adoptive family’s home; collection of medical records and health history for the adopted child; an assessment of the financial well being of the adoptive family; and other similar information.

On the other hand, a Court report is often performed by an adoption agency, but is much less involved and less detailed than a home study. Usually, a Court report verifies that the adoptive family meets the minimum requirements necessary for adoption of a child in Georgia.

Generally, your attorney will prepare a Petition which the adoptive parents will swear to be correct. Certain documents will need to be attached to the Petition when it is filed or provided to the Court shortly thereafter. Some of these documents are prepared by the attorney; some can be prepared by an adoption agency; and some of these documents, such as a copy of the adoptive couple’s marriage license, can be obtained from an appropriate state agency. The attorney will oversee this process.

Generally, once an adoption is filed, it takes about two months to finalize the adoption. Sometimes, adoptions can be finalized much more quickly. On the other hand, if the adoption becomes contested, the entire process can take much longer and be more expensive.

While we cannot give legal advice through this website, we urge you to speak with a licensed Georgia attorney before networking or advertising your ability and willingness to adopt a child. Such advertising and networking can be illegal and can jeopardize your adoption.

Again, we do not give legal advice through this website. You should be mindful, however, that Georgia has very strict laws which govern financial dealings between biological parents and adoptive parents. You should confer with a Georgia licensed attorney before having any type of financial discussions with adoptive parents. Failure to follow these rules can result in your adoption being set aside and your commission of a felony. Talk to a lawyer before having this type of discussion.

The initial office conference will last approximately an hour and a half. The purpose of this office conference is for us to gather information from you and to discuss options for adoption in Georgia. We will discuss the various laws applicable to your case and provide information about independent, agency, international and other adoptions which we can handle. We will discuss dealings with biological parents and the "ins and outs" of the adoption process. You are not obligated to work with our office beyond the initial office conference. We charge a discounted fee of $100.00 for the initial office visit.

As adoption attorneys we are unable to "place" babies. Most adoptive families who come to us have already made contact with a birth mother or are working with an agency. Sometimes, the birth mother makes the initial contact with us as well. We do not, however, "place" babies for adoption. If you are not working with a specific birth mother and seek only general information about an adoption, we will suggest to you various alternatives, including working with an agency, working with family, friends, church members, OB/GYN physicians and other placement resources.

Although we do not provide legal advice on this website, we suggest that you select your adoption attorney and licensed child placing agency with the same degree of care and concern which you would bring to selecting a physician. The stakes for you and your child are extremely high in an adoption. "Adoption facilitators" and "adoption consultants" are usually unregulated and may be illegal in many instances. Where an agency is involved, it must be a licensed child placing agency. You should be aware of the fact that facilitators frequently use names or appear to use names that sound as though they are "agencies" or "virtual agencies." Unregulated facilitators may offer to do all of the work for you, but they may not detect major legal risks which could become costly to you and they are prohibited from giving legal advice. Use of a facilitator may jeopardize finalization of your adoption or even cause disruption of a placement long after the adoption is finalized.

You can schedule a conference with our office by clicking the link below or you can call us at (706) 324-4607.

To schedule an appointment

Click Here

Home |  Questions and Answers Concerning Adoption  | Our Location | Columbus Info | Contact Us