Your Guide to Pay the Mother’s Medical Expenses During Adoption

On average, most families pay around $40,000 for an infant adoption. Most of these payments go toward medical bills. Understanding what you are and are not required to pay for can help you create a mutually satisfactory adoption arrangement.

Are You Legally Required to Pay Medical Expenses?

Paying for medical expenses isn’t technically a legal requirement, but it is often necessary to finalize an adoption agreement. Since you cannot legally pay for a baby, paying for medical expenses is one of the few legal payments you can give a birth mother. Legally speaking, you do not have to pay medical expenses to adopt a baby. In some private adoptions, the birth mother may not require you to pay any expenses for her. However, a birth mother always has the right to request compensation before agreeing to let you adopt her child.

Essentially, it will all come down to the contract you create. If a birth mother agrees to let you adopt her baby without asking for medical expenses, you do not have to pay her anything. However, if paying the expenses was a condition of her agreeing to the adoption, then you will need to compensate her to finalize the arrangement.

Overall, most birth mothers will not choose you to adopt the baby unless you are willing to compensate them for medical arrangements. Though it is not a legal requirement, paying adoption medical fees is typically the fair thing to do. It provides essential care to the infant and ensures that the woman who helps you grow your family is not unduly burdened.

Types of Medical Expenses You Are Allowed to Pay

Keep in mind that birth mother expenses can be more than just the hospital bill for the delivery itself. Instead, medical expenses usually include a variety of health care costs throughout the entire pregnancy. You are also allowed to pay for expenses that occur following the birth. Some examples of common medical expenses that a birth mother might ask you to pay include:

• All prenatal visits and checkups during the pregnancy
• Costs associated with labor and delivery, potentially including ambulance costs
• Imaging tests like ultrasounds
• Prenatal vitamins or other medically recommended dietary supplements
• Health care for any chronic conditions, like diabetes, that occur during the pregnancy
• Counseling and mental care to address the challenges of being pregnant and giving up the child
• Reconstructive surgery or therapy for medical issues following a difficult labor

How Should You Handle Payments for Medical Expenses?

When it comes to medical expenses, there is no specific rule for how you are supposed to pay them. When doing an agency adoption, medical expenses will often be bundled into a flat rate. This can be a simple way to pay for medical care, but be sure to closely question the agency about how their services are set up. If you want to make sure the birth mother is fully compensated, double-check the agency’s fee structure to make sure they are not charging the mother a fee to work with them.

If you are not paying through an agency, you have more options for payment. Some families may pay for an insurance policy for the birth mother, while others might give her a prepaid card to use for her medical bills. You also have the option of asking her for receipts and compensating her with a lump sum payment after the pregnancy is over. All of these options can work well for families as long as you make sure the arrangement is clear. It can be a good idea to have a New Jersey adoption attorney draft an official agreement with the birth mother that lays out all the terms for how she will be compensated. A concise legal contract helps to protect everyone’s finances.

If you are considering adoption, it is a good idea to consult with a New Jersey adoption attorney. The legal team at Cofsky & Zeidman can help you create an adoption arrangement that works for both you and the birth mother. We can assist you with everything from filing paperwork to sending payments. To learn more about our Haddonfield adoption services, call 856-429-5005 or send us a message today.