Adoption

Private Adoption question about lawyers

This is our second adoption, the first time we went with an agency and did the finalization ourselves so we didn't have a lawyer.  This time we are working with a law firm that shows profiles and helps connect families with birthmoms through their network.  They are a South Dakota firm and we live across the border in Minnesota.  So we need to pay a MN lawyer to represent us.  This law firm in SD includes termination of rights and ICPC work in their fees.  We consulted with an adoption expert firm in MN that charges a flat fee of $3200 but quoted termination and ICPC in their fees also.  So here's my question, if the SD firm is doing most of the work couldn't we pay a local lawyer to represent us even though they may not be as knowledgeable about adoption?  What would our MN lawyer really need to do except make sure everything goes smoothly and represent us in case it doesn't?  I don't want to pay the flat fee of $3200 if we're already paying the SD firm to do the same thing.  And as a side note we love this SD firm and fully trust them to handle the situation with the best interests of everyone involved even though they are now representing the birthmom and not us.  I'm just not sure what exactly our MN lawyer would be doing, especially since in MN we can finalize without a lawyer.

Started TTC January 2007 4 failed IUIs, 2 failed IVFs
2012 - Adopted Child #1
2014- Adopted Child #2

2015 - Fostering Child #3

Check out my infertility turned adoption blog: Discovering Joy In The Storm


Re: Private Adoption question about lawyers

  • ICPC has to happen in both states, so I'd spend the $3K just to make sure it was all buttoned up at both ends.
  • Don't skimp on attorney fees.  You will need someone in SD and someone in MN. Where you finalize also plays into it.

    In our situation we are from NH and traveling to MI for the baby. We had to hire a lawyer to represent us in MI & one to represent us in NH. We also had to hire someone represent the birth parents. We are also working with an agency to facilitate the adoption. The person representing us in NH is not so much representing us but reading over the ICPC documents to make sure that they don't see any issues at all that could hold us up. So in total 4 attorneys/agencies.
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