Should I Hire an Adoption Attorney?

Many people wonder, "Should I hire an adoption attorney?" After doing adoption work for over 12 years now, here is my list of factors to consider:

If someone decides to go pro se, which is Latin for "for oneself," then there is a higher risk of:

1. Making civil procedure mistakes, i.e., notices, subpoenas, etc.

2. Spending time 'barking up the wrong tree' or going down the wrong road, so to speak

3. Missing caselaw research or recent rule changes

4. Unnecessarily long, drawn-out case

5. Being unsure of chances of winning or having a false sense of security.

6. Being unsure of what evidence is admissible and important and what evidence the judge will see as simply muddying the waters. Busy judges do not like wasting time.

Yes, attorneys are costly. Here is why people may still decide to hire an experienced adoption attorney:

1. Avoid mistakes because attorney has education, resources, experience and judgment

2. Save time - delegate the issue so you can focus on other things

3. Save money in the long-run (the same reasons I do not change my own brake pads or do my own taxes)

4. Reputation. Opposing counsel (public defenders) can advise their clients (the non-custodial parent) that you are represented by an experienced adoption attorney, which may help the case settle without the expense of trial.

5. There are often ancillary issues involved such as tax ramifications and getting the proper court documents (and language in the court documents) to facilitate getting post-adoption birth certificates.

6. Attorneys have training in how to gather evidence (i.e., subpoenas, depositions, using an expert witness, etc.)

7. Over the years, we at Utah Adoption Law Center have formed relationships that can facilitate getting information, documents, evidence, etc.

These are some of the factors to consider when deciding whether to hire an attorney. You are welcome to call the Utah Adoption Law Center for a telephone consult. We do not take a case unless we are reasonably confident we can achieve your goals. Call us with your questions!