When interviewing a lawyer to handle your adoption, you’ll want to ask:
- How long have you been doing adoption work and what percentage of your cases are adoption cases?
- How did you get interested in adoption law?
- What is your hourly rate and how often will I be billed? Will you charge a retainer?
- Will other people such as paralegals and secretaries be working on my case? If so, can I meet them? Will you be charging me for their time?
- Are you affiliated with any particular adoption agency?
- What types of adoption are available to me in this state?
- What are the financial risks and specific difficulties of the different types of adoption?
- Are there special rules that apply to the type of adoption I want?
- How long do you estimate the process will take?
- How much do you estimate the process will cost?
- What can I do for myself to keep costs down?
- What other professionals will I need to assist me? Home study professionals? Case workers? What will be the approximate cost of each?