Is It Better to Adopt Domestically or Internationally?

Should I Adopt Domestically or Internationally?

Several children are ready to be adopted in the United States. In fact, 107,918 American kids are waiting to be chosen by families right now. In addition to that, Americans completed 19,942 international adoptions in 2007.

Should You Adopt Domestically or Internationally?

Before you decide to adopt domestically or internationally, it is a good idea to consider the following issues.

Age

If adopting a newborn baby is important to you, then you will have to decide to adopt domestically. International adoptions require that you adopt an older child. If, on the other hand, you were hoping to adopt an older child, you must be aware that one of the main reasons that adoptions are disrupted in America is because of the older age of the child.

A disruption occurs after the child was placed in an adoptive home before the adoption had a chance to be finalized. In this case, the child returns to the foster care system. Disruptions occur in 10 percent to 25 percent of the adoptions in the United States. Therefore, if you are happy to accept an older child, adopting internationally may be an option for you.

Time

International adoption can be predictable, but domestic adoptions may be less so. For example, in domestic adoption, the birth mother has the option of choosing the adoptive parents for her baby. Also, this decision could depend on several other factors, including which trimester the mother is currently in and the other professionals involved in the adoption. In most cases, this process may only take a couple of months.

Although an international adoption can be more predictable than domestic adoption, several things can disrupt the international adoption process, including changes in the country’s laws, a shift in the country’s feelings toward the United States and the economic situation in the country.

The Social and Medical History of the Children’s Birth Families

In domestic adoption, agencies often have a considerable amount of medical and social information on the birth mother’s family. Even so, it is important to note that one of the main reasons that adoptions are disrupted in the United States is because of a history of sexual or emotional abuse. If you are adopting internationally, you will most likely receive extensive medical history on the child, but there may not be very much information on his or her family.

Do You Want an Open or Closed Adoption?

For many Americans, international adoption is preferable because they aren’t required to have an open adoption. They do not want any contact with their children’s birth families. Domestic adoptions, on the other hand, may be at least “semi-open.” This means that you will meet the birth mother, and you may even talk to her on the phone.

To make things easier on the mother, the agency will send updates and photographs that you send. This is to reassure the birth mother that she did the right thing and that her baby is having a good life.

How Much Does It Cost?

There is no way to know whether it would be less costly to adopt domestically than internationally. In general, a domestic adoption will cost American parents between $20,000 and $35,000. International costs are a little more unpredictable. Some people paid $15,000 for international adoption, but others spent as much as $50,000. In both cases, your money will be at risk because a domestic adoption could be disrupted, and the country in which your international adoption takes place could slow down the process.

Concern About the Birth Mother

People often have a nightmare scenario in their minds about the birth mother coming to their doors to take their babies back. This is the reason that many people choose to adopt internationally, but this is an unfounded concern. In a legal adoption, the birth mother’s parental rights are terminated, so even if she found your door, she wouldn’t be able to take your baby. You can be assured that she will not know your address if your adoption is closed or semi-open. Besides that, most birth mothers are satisfied with the decision they made to give up their babies for adoption, so you really don’t need to worry about this happening to you.

Even if you are working with an agency, you will want to have the services of a New Jersey adoption lawyer. An attorney will guide you throughout the entire process and address all the legal issues involved in adopting domestically and internationally.

Contact the law firm of Cofsky & Zeidman to consult with a New Jersey adoption lawyer today. Call (856) 429-5005 to reach our main office in Haddonfield.

Is It More Difficult to Adopt Internationally During the Pandemic?

Pandemic Increases Anxiety for Families Adopting Internationally

Over 4,000 children come to America each year for international adoption. These are children brought over from a wide variety of countries and for many different reasons. For those families who have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of their new child, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new anxiety to the process.

Closed Borders and Travel Restrictions

One of the most frustrating aspects of the pandemic for adopting parents has been the various travel restrictions. Not being able to see their child has been heartbreaking, especially if they were at the end of the adoption process. While virtual visits can be an option for some families, there are parts of the world where even those are not possible.

Quarantines

If the parents have been allowed to travel, there have often been quarantining procedures they must follow. Depending on where they live and where they are traveling, they may have been required to quarantine both before and after their travels. This creates an extra level of stress and could prevent one of the parents from being able to travel because they need to work. Social workers have also not been able to perform home visits, further delaying the adoption process.

Closed Courtrooms

Even if traveling has been allowed and necessary paperwork has been filled out, there has been another major glitch in the process. Most courtrooms around the country were shut down for any type of filings that were not essential. Unfortunately, the courts often do not consider adoption proceedings essential. As many adoptive parents will attest, finalizing the adoption brings a great sense of relief to their family. There is always a fear that there will be an unforeseen glitch and the adoption will not go through.

There are different types of international adoptions. A child can be born and adopted in their home country, or they can be adopted in a different country. Sometimes, if an adoption has been completed in their home country, they must be readopted into the United States. There is a lot of paperwork required no matter the type of adoption proceeding. For instance, if you have adopted a child in another country, they may need to be readopted into the United States. In this case, you must mail the following forms to the New Jersey Office of Vital Statistics and Registry:

 

• Report of Adoption form (REG-44)
• Certified copy of the final judgment of adoption from a New Jersey court
• Certified copy of the original birth certificate, as well as a certified English translation
• $2 in the form of a check or money order made out to the Treasurer of the State of New Jersey
• Proof of residency in New Jersey
• A Certificate of Citizenship from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Services

 

An experienced New Jersey adoption lawyer can help you obtain any of these documents that you may not have. In addition, they can answer any questions you have about which documents to provide. If the child’s adoption was completed in another country, there is a different set of forms required.

An Uncertain Future

As our country and the world move through this pandemic, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. For parents adopting internationally, they have a host of questions and worries about how this will affect the future. Parents who are considering international adoption may turn to domestic adoptions because of all of these obstacles. International adoption rates have been decreasing anyway, so these problems may cause even fewer of those children to be brought into loving homes.

Choose an Experienced Adoption Lawyer

With all of the uncertainty regarding international adoptions, you need an experienced New Jersey adoption lawyer on your side. Donald C. Cofsky has helped over 1,500 families achieve their dreams of adoption. Whether you are working with an agency or not, our firm can guide you through the process. Cofsky & Zeidman has offices in Haddonfield, Woodbury, and Philadelphia. Give our firm a call today, toll-free, at (856) 429-5005 to set up an appointment.

Why You Should Get an Adoption Attorney

How an Adoption Attorney Can Help

More kids are adopted in the United States than in any other country in the world, and if you’re considering adoption, then you’ll need assistance from a PA adoption attorney. By working with a lawyer, you’ll have an easier time making your way through the state and federal adoption regulations. An attorney will also help you fill out the mountains of paperwork you’ll be facing and file them with the right departments at the right time.

Adoption Is a Complex Legal Situation

From beginning to end, the adoption process is managed by a set of laws and regulations. There are state and federal laws for those who want to adopt and prospective birth mothers. With regulations comes paperwork, which can be overwhelming.

While this sounds like, and is, a lot of work, it’s not up to you to do it. When you hire an adoption attorney, he or she will handle the complex legal situations that your adoption agency may not have the ability to handle.

Along with overseeing the legal aspects of adoption that occurs through an agency, adoption lawyers also handle ones that happen outside of an agency. These types of adoptions are called independent adoptions. There are pros and cons to working with an adoption lawyer solely instead of both a lawyer and an agency.

The Pros and Cons of Working With an Adoption Lawyer


Officially, an adoption lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in family law and adoption. An adoption law firm would consist of two or more lawyers who practice in this area of the law. Some firms have just one attorney who specializes in it. In adoption law, attorneys handle situations that range from stepparent adoptions to independent ones. Most lawyers handle the legal part of any adoption, but they don’t pair possible birth parents to their clients. This makes them a better professional provider for relative, identified and stepparent adoptions.

Occasionally, an adoption lawyer may locate birth mothers or adoptive parents and facilitate the communication, living expenses and financial arrangements between them. However, these are services that are usually provided by an adoption agency. This part of the process is where an adoption attorney may not have as much experience.

The pros of working solely with an adoption lawyer include:

• Access to critical legal services. A major benefit of going with an adoption firm is that your adoption will be handled solidly and safely, increasing the security of the adoption. You’ll mainly notice this benefit when you’re dealing with the legal side of the adoption. Plan to hire an adoption lawyer for this part of the adoption even if you’re using an agency to facilitate the process.

• The authority to process identified adoptions. If a person already has a birth mother from whom he or she wants to adopt, like a family member or friend who is pregnant and doesn’t want to keep the baby, then this is an identified adoption. In this case, the only professional needed to complete the adoption process is an adoption attorney. Going this route is more affordable.

The downsides to working solely with an adoption lawyer include:

• Fewer leads. If you aren’t already undergoing the adoption process, then undertaking it with an adoption lawyer without an agency may delay when you receive a child. Adoption agencies are set up to pair prospective parents with birth mothers who don’t want, or are unable to, care for the children they’re carrying.

• Variable costs. The total amount that you’ll spend to adopt a child may fluctuate based on the law firm. Some bill hourly, which means that you may not be able to budget the cost.

Getting the Help You Need

When it comes to legal situations, it’s always best to hire a PA adoption attorney to make sure that everything is handled properly. If you’re considering adoption, then contact us at Cofsky & Zeidman in Philadelphia, PA, at (215) 563-2150. You can reach our Haddonfield, NJ, office at (865) 429-5005 or Woodbury, NJ, office at (856) 845-2555. We’re prepared to help you with your adoption.

Costs Associated With Adopting a Child

Expenses Adopting Parents Should Expect

According to recent research, the average cost of an independent adoption is more than $34,000, and the average cost of an agency adoption is nearly $40,000. An interesting note is that adoptions in which an attorney represented the adopting parents were less expensive. An important advantage of hiring our NJ adoption attorney is being able to prepare for the ancillary expenses that come with adopting a child.

Court Costs

The most basic cost associated with adoption is the filing fee, which courts charge in order to process your adoption filing. Filing fees are standard in the state in which the adoption is being processed. While this is a fixed cost, there can be other related charges, such as:

  • Documentation fees
  • Immigration processing
  • Expenses related to witnesses
  • Court expenses for the birth mother

Home Study

Undergoing a home study prior to adopting is a requirement for people in New Jersey. A big role our NJ adoption attorney can play in your adoption is helping you understand what is required of you and how to minimize the costs. Starting a home study requires some basics, such as driver’s licenses, marriage certificates, birth certificates and so forth. You may also need to provide tax returns, documents concerning assets, proof of various insurance policies and so forth. The home study itself does comprise multiple in-home assessments, but it is, at its core, an educational program provided by an independent party designed to prepare individuals who want to adopt children. Topics of study include:

  • Needs of children
  • What prospective parents should expect
  • Responsibilities that come with being an adoptive parent
  • Relationships with social workers

Birth Mother Expenses

Covering expenses for the birth mother is often expected. This is true when coordinating a private adoption, but it can also be the case when dealing with an agency because the needs of the mother can go above and beyond what the company is able to provide based on the fees it charges. Certainly, during a private adoption, the adopting parent is expected to cover “everything.” Nevertheless, even in more structured scenarios, the adopting parent may elect to pay more in the best interest of the child. These additional expenses can include:

  • Legal fees
  • Medical expenses
  • Prescriptions, vitamins and nutrition
  • Traveling costs
  • Counseling fees
  • Temporary living expenses

Travel Expenses

When you set out to adopt a child, you have certain goals in mind. Achieving them may require you to travel as well as the birth mother. Be mindful that travel expenses extend beyond just fuel costs to those related to accommodations away from home, meals eaten each day, traveling and even wear and tear on the vehicles used. There can be ways to offset these expenses, but these will certainly be costs that you will need to manage on a day-to-day basis with assistance from your legal representation.

Tax Credit and State Subsidies

When it comes to adoption expenses, while much of the focus is often on debits, there can be credits as well. Tax credits, for instance, are an important reason to consult with a lawyer, and such credits can actually cover not only your personal expenses but any amount your employer contributed, which is something that many companies are willing to do. There are also subsidies available from states, including New Jersey, that make adoptions more practical for everyone.

The Local Representation You Need

Are you considering adoption? Have you begun the adoption process and now require legal assistance? The law office of Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC, would love to assist you. Our law firm focuses only on adoptions, and we have more than 25 years of experience. Our focus extends to private adoptions, agency adoptions, stepparent adoptions, assisted reproduction and more. Initial consultations are provided at no cost and without obligation, and you can contact us online or call our office in Haddonfield, New Jersey, at (856) 429-5005 or our office in Woodbury, New Jersey, at (856) 845-2555.

New Jersey Adoption Court Procedures

What You Need to Know About New Jersey Adoption Court Procedures

The legal concerns and questions do not end when you adopt a child. Having an experienced New Jersey adoption attorney at your side for the duration of this process can help to minimize your confusion and prepare you for what to expect. Adoptive parents need to file a court petition, which is referred to as a complaint for adoption.

How the Legal Process Follows an Adoption

Once you decide to adopt, there are many legal procedures and specific pieces of paperwork that must be reviewed and filed in a timely fashion. If you fail to do this, you could experience delays and other challenges in your case. Instead, you should work directly with an experienced adoption lawyer in NJ to help you through these phases of your case.

 

You must initiate the procedure in the county where you live or where the adoption agency that has custody of the child is. When you can move forward with the filing of such a complaint is based on numerous different factors, including whether or not there are issues to resolve like terminating parental rights, or if the child was placed in your home by an agency or independently.

 

The adoption complaint cannot go before the court until the minor has lived in the new adoptive home for a minimum of 6 months in an independent adoption. The complaint could be filed sooner to resolve issues such as if one of the birth parents wishes to terminate their parental rights.

 

The court will name a date for the hearing, which usually occurs between10 and 30 days after the receipt of such a complaint. If the complaint is filed early, the court will choose the date for the preliminary hearing. If there two hearings being held, the majority of New Jersey counties will require that the adoptive parents show up at the preliminary hearing, although they may not need to attend the final hearing.

 

Potential adoptive parents must file a complaint in court within 45 days of the adoptive parents’ receipt of the child. Preliminary hearings go before the court a and occur three months before after the complaint is filed. At this point in time, the birth parents will have their rights terminated. The parents must attend this hearing and testify.

 

The court will also allow a future date and time for supervisory visits, which you may hear referred to as post-placement visits to be carried out by the approved agency. The judgement of adoption is entered at the conclusion of the final hearing and this is when the adoptive parents officially become the legal parents of the child. This can also change the name of the child on the original birth certificate to one the name given to the child by his or her adoptive parents.

Contact Our Offices in Haddonfield, Woodbury or Philadelphia.

To set up an appointment with Attorney Don Cofsky, call us in Haddonfield at 856-429-5005 or in Woodbury at 856-845-2555. We can also be reached in Philadelphia at 215-563-2150 or by e-mail.

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