privateadoption.orgWhat an adoption attorney does
Even with an agency, an attorney is often part of a private adoption. Here is what that role usually covers.
We describe what state statutes and agencies say. An attorney licensed in your state can tell you what those rules mean for your adoption, which is something no guide can do.
Courts expect specific filings in a specific order. Your attorney prepares them, files them in the right court, and appears with you at hearings.
Some states keep a putative father registry. Your attorney checks what your state and the birth state require, and makes sure notice is handled properly.
Before you help with any expenses, ask your attorney what is allowed in the birth state and how it must be documented.
Your attorney or agency assembles the packet the compact offices review. You will often have an attorney in each state.
Who to ask
Rules differ by state. An adoption attorney licensed in your state, and in the birth state if it is different, can tell you how they apply to your family.
- Child Welfare Information Gateway - Consent to Adoption · as of 2026-10-21
- Child Welfare Information Gateway - The Rights of Unmarried Parents · as of 2026-10-21
- Child Welfare Information Gateway - Regulation of Private Domestic Adoption Expenses · as of 2026-10-21
- APHSA - ICPC Regulation No. 12 (not a .gov page) · as of 2026-10-22
The PrivateAdoption guide app
The whole adoption, step by step
The guide app walks you through every stage in order. It keeps your document checklist, estimates your costs, reminds you of key dates, suggests questions for your attorney, and lays out the interstate steps if the birth is in another state. Every state rule comes with its official source.
Now covering 11 states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. More being added.
Get the guide app - $199One time, no subscription. You can also give the guide app as a gift for the same $199.
A short note when pages change
Occasional, and only when a state page or article is added or updated. No other mail, and you can leave any time.