Emily Doskow is among the most experienced LGBT adoption attorneys in the country. She has completed hundreds of 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. (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 herself 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: Modern Family Act
In January, 2015, the Modern Family Act went into effect. This new law allows same-sex parents who were married or registered when their baby was born, to complete a stepparent adoption without the necessity of an investigation or a court hearing. Everything can now be done by filing papers with the court–no court appearance is needed, and no social worker will come to your house.
Emily will meet with you to explain the adoption process and gather the necessary information. She will prepare all of the necessary paperwork and have you come in to sign and notarize all of it, then her office will submit everything to the court and in a few weeks, your adoption order will come back from the court.
Fee: Sliding scale from $1,500 to $5,000, payable at the outset or in two equal installments no longer than one month apart.
Domestic Partner Adoption: Traditional Stepparent Adoption
If you were not married or registered when your child was born, but you are now, you will use the traditional stepparent adoption procedures. Emily will prepare all of the paperwork, file it with the court, interface with the agency that will conduct the investigation, prepare the final papers, and attend the court hearing with you.
Fees:
Sliding scale from $1,500 to $5,000, payable at the outset or in two equal installments no longer than one month apart.
Other Types of Adoption
Emily can help with an adult adoption or an independent or second-parent adoption for couples who aren’t legally married or partnered. Fees vary depending on circumstances.
Multiple Children
If you are adopting more than one child, the sliding fee scale is slightly higher depending on the number of children. For two children it is $2,500 to $6,000 and for more than two, Emily will discuss the fee with you when you meet.