Adoption Services and Fee Structure

Emily Doskow is among the most experienced LGBT adoption attorneys in the country. She has completed more than 200 second-parent, stepparent, and domestic partner adoptions, and practices in every Bay Area county and beyond.

To keep adoption fees affordable for all clients, Emily uses a sliding scale fee structure. She also offers different levels of service, from full representation to “supported self-help,” to make the process even more accessible. The sliding scale takes into account the availability of a tax credit for every dollar you spend on adoption fees.

Each level of services and fees is described below for a standard domestic partner adoption. There may be extra fees for termination of the rights of a known donor, depending on the circumstances.


 




"I would highly recommend using Emily for the adoption process to any friends, family members or the community at large.  Her professionalism and sensitivity to our special concerns as a two mommy family made us feel completely confident in her ability to navigate us through the adoption system and process. She took the time to outline the pro’s and con’s of adoption for our family which subsequently played an important role in our decision to move forward with adoption.  From start to finish Emily made her-self completely available and was consistently responsive to our questions and concerns as they arose. Emily is a wonderful advocate and attorney having made our process a joyous and easy one."

Shannon, Lisa and Liliana


Domestic Partner Adoption: Full Representation

As your attorney of record, Emily will provide full representation in connection with the adoption. She will meet with you to explain the entire process and gather the necessary information, prepare the paperwork to begin your adoption, contact the county or private agency that will investigate the adoption, prepare the required documents for the final hearing, attend the final hearing, and prepare all correspondence and other paperwork to complete your adoption. Your only responsibilities will be to attend an initial meeting, sign the paperwork when it’s sent to you, meet with the social worker for a home study, and attend the final hearing.

Fee: sliding scale from $1,500 to $4,000, payable in two equal installments

Domestic Partner Adoption: Document Preparation

Emily will meet with you to explain the adoption process and gather the necessary information. After the initial meeting, she will prepare the paperwork to begin your adoption, listing the adopting parent as self-represented. She will send you the paperwork, along with thorough instructions about getting your papers filed with the court and forwarded to the agency that will conduct the home study, and about how to arrange for your home study. When the home study is complete, Emily will prepare the final paperwork for your court hearing, and send it to you along with the instructions for getting a hearing date and appearing in court. All along the way, Emily will be available by phone or email to answer questions about the process.

Fee: sliding scale from $900 to $1,250, payable in two equal installments.

Domestic Partner Adoption: Supported Self-Help

Emily will meet with you to explain the adoption process, and will give you a copy of How to Do Your Own California Adoption: A Guide for Stepparents and Domestic Partners (Nolo) at no charge. She will also provide a written supplement that contains information specific to your situation, about adoptions in your county.  You will prepare all documents yourselves, will appear as your own attorney, and will be responsible for contacting the private or county agency that will investigate the adoption and for all other tasks necessary to complete their adoption. All along the way, Emily will be available by phone or email to answer questions about the process.

Fee: sliding scale from $500 to $750, payable in full at the time that the retainer agreement is signed.

Other Types of Adoption

Fees vary for adult adoptions, stepparent adoptions for married couples (where the tax credit is unavailable), and for independent and second-parent adoptions for same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. 

Multiple Children

If you are adopting more than one child at the same time, your fee will not be doubled, but will be increased to an amount that you and Emily both consider fair.

Emily Doskow- Attorney at Law
1010 Grayson Street, Suite 2
Berkeley, California 94710
T: 510-540-8311 F: 510-531-2074
Emily@emilydoskow.com