Most birth mothers and birth fathers are seeking a happily married, financially secure, loving couple to adopt their baby. A few have specific requirements for their "dream couple," but most just want a really good family.

Almost every birth mother wants to meet the adopting couple and satisfy herself personally that they are warm-hearted, loving people who will be good to her baby.

More than anything else a successful meeting with adopting parents assures a birth mother that she is doing the right thing.

Adoption is easier if the birth father will sign a simple waiver and furnish medical background information about his family. Generally, unwed birth fathers seldom come forward to prevent adoption, but occasionally they do.

Attorneys have traditionally presided over independent adoption and handled the court aspects of agency adoptions as well. Adoption law can be complicated and the suffering resulting from failure to know and follow the law can be profound.

The primary expenses facing an adopting couple include:

• Birth Parent Support and Medical Bills
• Attorney's Fees

Attorneys in adoption generally charge in one of two ways: by the hour or on a flat fee basis, as I do. There is actually no way to tell which method will be less expensive for you in a given case. Generally speaking, attorneys’ fees in adoptions are greater when billed by the hour.

California law permits adopting parents to pay pregnancy related medical costs for a birth mother and her reasonable living costs during her time of confinement.

I do not recommend that you advertise in newspapers or telephone directories for women wishing to place their babies. Of course, you can, if you wish, but it has been my experience that couples have serious problems dealing with birth mothers who respond to newspaper ads. Some birth mothers have been known to answer ads from many couples, take money from several, and then “change her mind” when the baby is born. It is much safer for your lawyer to advertise and screen the birth mothers for you.

I advertise primarily on the Internet. A portion of the cost of this advertising is made up by an “advertising fee” charged when a baby goes home with you.