Child Adoption: How A Lawyer Can Assist If The Birth Parents Are Demanding Custody
Posted on: 12 June 2015
Are you experiencing a lot of stress after adopting a child from someone that is now threatening to take him or her back? As long as you went through the right legal process to adopt your child, a family lawyer should be able to help you fight for your rights against the birth parents. Find out below how a lawyer can help you with your dispute, as well as what you can expect to pay to hire one.
How Can a Lawyer Assist an Adoptive Parent with a Custody Battle?
The first step towards helping you resolve a custody dispute with the birth parent is for the lawyer to find out how the adoption process took place. You must understand that signing a simple agreement with the birth parent to get custody does not make the adoption legal. You need official documents that were processed in the court of law. Your lawyer will review all of the documents for authenticity before proceeding.
Some of the other services that the lawyer will provide include:
- Proving that you are financially stable
- Investigating the birth parents' criminal histories
- Gathering evidence of your history with the child
- Learning about the birth parents' home environment
- Obtaining proof that the birth parents terminated their rights
The legal documentation proving that the adoption process was legal should be sufficient enough for you to win the custody battle. However, your lawyer will make sure that he or she is prepared for anything that the birth parents may bring up against you in court. Keep in mind that you may need to give your lawyer evidence of your income, school your child is enrolled in and your living situation.
What Does it Cost to Hire a Family Lawyer on Average?
Being that a custody dispute with the birth parent of an adopted child can be complex, it is likely that your lawyer will charge you by the hour. However, he or she can also opt to charge a flat fee. If you are charged by the hour, you can expect to pay a retainer fee upfront in which an hourly rate that averages up to $500 will be deducted from. If the retainer money runs out before the case is settled, you will have to pay additional money. Get in touch with a family lawyer from a firm like Mills & Mills Law Group to protect your rights as an adoptive parent!
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