If you’re considering adoption as a way to build or create a family, one of your first concerns will likely be the potential cost of the adoption. This blog provides an overview of the typical expenses involved in various types of adoption proceedings.

The Domestic Adoption of an Infant through an Agency

With the domestic adoption of an infant, a pregnant birth mother chooses the adoptive parents, typically from profiles submitted to an adoption agency. The parties can be matched up at any time during the pregnancy, and the costs can vary based on when the adoption process is initiated. In most instances, the adoptive parents agree to pay for certain expenses of the birth mother, including medical costs. According to statistics gathered nationally, the average cost of a domestic infant adoption is between $20,000 and $40,000, which includes the cost of a home study, as well as medical expenses and foster care for the child.

A Private Infant Adoption

If you are able to adopt without the intervention of an adoption agency, you can dramatically reduce the overall costs. In this type of adoption, prospective adoptive parents work directly with adoption attorneys and medical professionals, or use means other than adoption agencies to locate potential children to adopt. The adoptive parents will typically pay some expenses on behalf of the birth parent, but don’t pay any agency fees. Accordingly, the cost can be as little as $15,000, equally split between attorney fees and medical expenses. On the high end, these adoptions can cost upwards of $35,000.

International Adoptions

The costs of an international adoption can vary dramatically, based on the country from which you adopt. Many countries require that you travel there to complete some aspects of the adoption, and some even require multiple visits. Experts put the total costs at $25,000, to $50,000.

Contact Our Office

To set up an appointment, call us in Haddonfield at 856-429-5005 or in Woodbury at 856-845-2555. We can also be reached in Philadelphia at 215-563-2150 or by e-mail. For clients with personal injury or workers’ compensation claims, we offer a free initial consultation, and will represent you on a contingency basis, only charging attorney fees if we recover compensation for you.

Our offices are open weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Weekend and evening appointments may be arranged upon request. We will also come to your home or the hospital, if necessary.