How to Research an Attorney to Assist You With Your Gay Adoption

Introduction

Gay couples face a number of challenges for adoption that heterosexual couples do not. This is primarily because gay adoption laws in the United States are not clearly defined. In such a situation, having a good lawyer can help a lot. Here is how you can research a lawyer to assist you with your gay adoption.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Steps

1

Step One

Go online and type keywords such as "Find attorney," "Attorney directory" or "Attorney list’ in the search box of your favorite search engine.

2

Step Two

Add the name of your state to get information specific to your case.

3

Step Three

Check out the links that appear on the results page. Look for Web sites that offer list of lawyers in your area.

4

Step Four

Try to get the list of attorneys using the type of case as keyword for search. Use options such as "Adoption" plus "Attorney" plus "Gay." Use "Homosexual" or "LGBT" as an option for the keyword "Gay."

5

Step Five

Get information from various national organizations that support gay adoption. They can provide you valuable information on gay adoption and lawyers who have taken up such cases before. For instance, you can look up the American Bar Association, the National Association of Social Workers and the North American Council on Adoptable Children. See the Resources section for links.

6

Step Six

Visit your local libraries. They usually have lawyer directories from where you can find a list of lawyers in your area.

7

Step Seven

Go through the phone book and find contact information about lawyers in your neighborhood.

8

Step Eight

Make a list of all the lawyers and gather information about them online. Check the types of cases they have handled in the past. This information will help you shortlist the lawyers who can help you with adoption.

9

Step Nine

Visit personal Web sites and blogs of people who have been through the gay adoption process. These individuals can offer valuable insight into the topic. Ask them to recommend some attorneys.

10

Step Ten

Talk to the lawyers over phone and explain your case. Ask the lawyer if he is interested in taking up your case. This will help you further shortlist the options.

11

Step Eleven

Meet with each of the lawyers and talk about your case specifications. Be sure to discuss fees and the previous gay adoption cases they have worked on in the past.