Gay Adoption Issues - Choosing an LGBT Friendly Attorney
Monday July 14, 2008
Deborah H. Wald, Esq. is a San Francisco Bay Area attorney specializing in family formation law, with an emphasis on LGBT families. She is also the latest guest author on About: Adoption & Foster Care with an article entitled Gay Adoption Issues - Choosing an LGBT Friendly Attorney. Here Ms. Wald shares tips on choosing an attorney that is sensitive to the difficulties that LGBT families must face because gay adoption law in the United States, as Ms. Wald puts it, is a "patchwork quilt". As a practitioner, teacher, and author, her goal is to ensure that all families and children receive the highest quality legal protections available.
Ask ask ask everyone you know who has completed an adoption. Then don’t necessarily be fooled by the same name repeating- find out their costs/fee schedules.
Here in Syracuse, New York there is a prominent “adoption lawyer” who specifically targets the GLBT community. Her rates for service are well over 10 times what any of the other attorneys are charging- and oh by the way, she also has her own adoption agency that “assists” with those seeking international adoption. From many MANY discussions I have had with those utilizing her “services”, she basically serves as an additional middle man and is all too happy to take a hefty fee.
We were very lucky to have caught on to her scams before we got involved and stuck to our beliefs of working thru the county adoption services only. We were also very lucky approx 7 years ago when we were given the name of an adoption attorney who was willing to go to bat for us. At the time, the perceived rule of thumb for gay adoption was that one adopted then a year later, the other partner could petition the courts again for a second parent adoption. Our lawyer screened all the family court judges and the county clerk as to whether they would accept a joint adoption from the get go. And they did! We were the first couple in our area to jointly adopt in one fell swoop! So not only did we not get gouged for fees, but our lawyer actually cut her fees in half by doing the right thing! You just never know… but you have to really seek out the knowledge yourself and ask the tough questions.
By the way, since then, we have adopted another son and are on our way to adopting a second daughter. Not to mention all the folks we have steered into working thru our county services and with this most excellent lawyer!
Diva Jean,
Thank you for adding in your personal experience and for seconding the excellent advice offered by Ms. Wald.
Always get those second opinions on the “services” that people have to offer – it will save time, money, and heartache.
Thanks again!