Adoption costs vary from those that are a
part of every adoption to those that are associated with only some forms of
adoption such as travel costs for international adoption and costs that are
purely optional such as using a courier service to bring materials to an
embassy or staying in a western style suite at $300 per night versus a hotel
typical of the country you’re visiting for $30 per night.
Adoption Home Study
Every adoption requires a home
study. The adoption home study is conducted by a public or licensed, private adoption
agency in your state. The purpose of the adoption home study is to help you prepare for
the adoption and to evaluate your specific situation then recommend whether or
not you qualify to be an adoptive parent or parents and what type of child
(age, circumstances) would be most suitable for you. (Much more about the home
study process in Chapter Ten).
Adoption home study fees range from $1,000
to $4,000 and are paid by the prospective parents.
In the cases of adoption
from the foster care system, there may be no charge for the adoption home study.
Legal Fees
Domestic adoptions and some intercountry adoptions must be finalized in a U.S.
court. Some intercountry adoptions are full and final
in the child's country of origin. Even though a second adoption proceeding in
the U.S. is not
necessary in these situations, parents often choose to finalize the placement
in a U.S. court
to provide additional protection of their child's legal status.
The cost for court document
preparation can range from $500 to $2,000, while cost for legal representation
may range from $2,500 to $12,000 or more in some States.
Although some states allow
adoptions to be finalized in court without representation, we recommend that
you use an attorney to be absolutely certain that there are no legal problems
associated with your child’s adoption status.
