Q: How can someone surrender their baby to me in NYC?
A friend of ours, who resides in the Bronx and is an immigrant, has expressed her intention to place her unborn child for adoption with my husband and me. We live in Suffolk County, NY. She has not yet given birth. Could you please provide guidance on the legal steps we need to take for this process and an estimate of the associated costs?
Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
- New York
- (718) 745-3600
- View Profile
- Answered
A:
The asker seeks an adoption proceeding in family court. The problem will be that the surrendering mother will require the biological father's consent. A family court judge will not readily sign off on adoption papers in the absence of the child's biological father.
Once all adults appear before the family court judge, the judge will enter a consent order granting the gaining parents an adoption of the child.
There is no way to provide associated costs as no two attorneys charge the same fees. Firms will triple charge while solo lawyers will single charge. Fee arbitration committees have trimmed the ranks of solo practitioners, so firm fees will necessarily be huge.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
