When a child is adopted, the adoption ends the legal relationship between that child and his or her birth parents and creates a new and legal family relationship with the adoptive parents.

~ Our specialized areas of practice for domestic adoptions include: ~

            Private Adoptions:   Some children are adopted directly from their birth parents using the services of either an adoption attorney or an adoption agency to ensure that all legal requirements are met.  With this type of adoption, the birth mother can choose the adoptive parents and can decide on how much contact she will have with the adopted child and his or her new family.  The birth mother will decide whether the adoption is Open, Semi-Open or Closed.  Private adoptions include Identified Adoptions, in which we will assist in completing adoption plans for adoptive parents who have identified their own birth mothers.

            Interstate Adoptions:  If either the birth mother or the adoptive parents reside outside the state of South Carolina, the adoption must meet all of the requirements of the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC).

            Public Agency Adoptions: Many children are in the state-sponsored foster care system awaiting adoption because they were abandoned by the birth parents or the birth parents’ rights have been terminated.  These children are all ages and races and some have health problems and some have none.  Some of the children have siblings also awaiting adoption.  Many of these children are considered “special needs” children.

            Family Adoptions:  Some children and adopted by their stepmothers or stepfathers.  Other children are adopted by their aunts, uncles or grandparents when one or both of their birth parents cannot take care of them.  These adoptions also have legal requirements that must be met.

~ Closed vs. Open Adoption ~

Every adoption is unique and must be designed to meet the specific needs and desires of the birth mother and the adoptive parents.   As long as the best interests of the child is the most important goal of the adoption process, the birth mother and adoptive parents can construct a plan that is completely open with direct contact, semi-open with limited contact, such as communication by mail and telephone, or completely confidential.

A birth mother may call us and ask that we make arrangements to place her child, without ever knowing about the adoptive family. This is often known as a "closed" adoption. However, most often the birth mother or birth parents will play a role in selecting the family to adopt their child, and to a greater or lesser extent the adoption will be "open" with the parties knowing something of one another. Sometimes this is simply the exchange of first names, while others may choose to actually meet in person and get to know one another. Many times, the adoptive family is at the hospital for the birth of the child. It is very common for the adoptive parents to send letters and pictures to the birth mother following the adoption.

Although open adoptions are becoming increasingly common, there are still a number of families who choose a semi-open adoption plan, such as just an exchange of letters without any identifying information involved.  If that is something that you choose, The Law Offices of Thomas P. Lowndes, Jr., is here to act as an intermediary for shared correspondence. 

We will assist you with the type of adoption you want, not what someone else thinks you should have, within the limits of all applicable laws.

~ Costs of Adoption ~

Under South Carolina law, adoptive parents can legally pay medical expenses for the birth mother and child, as well as reimburse the birth mother for reasonable and necessary living expenses for a reasonable time. Adoptive parents can also pay the legal expenses, if any, for the birth mother. These are considered permissible expenses.  However, it is a felony crime to pay or receive payment for expenses outside the above, or for the giving of a consent for adoption.

The costs to adopt a child varies, depending on the particulars of your specific adoption situation, and are wide-ranging from almost nothing to $30,000 or more, and primarily depend on the birth mother’s medical and living expenses.  Legal fees to this firm are generally a pre-set flat rate. The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse has published the following summaries of costs for the different types of adoptions:

Domestic Public Agency Adoptions:  $0 - $2,500
Most public agencies place only children with special needs, which is defined differently in each state.  Up-front fees and expenses range from $0 to $2,500, including travel and attorneys fees. Most states, under a federal match program, will reimburse non-recurring adoption expenses up to a set limit (which cannot exceed $2,000).   South Carolina has a maximum of $1,500.  Federal and state adoption subsidies may be available for the ongoing care of children with special physical, mental, or emotional needs.

Domestic Private Agency Adoptions: $4,000 - $30,000
Licensed private agencies charge fees ranging from $4,000 to $30,000, which includes the costs for birth parent counseling, adoptive parent home study and preparation, child’s birth expenses, post-placement supervision until the adoption is finalized, and a portion of agency costs for overhead and operating expenses.

Domestic Independent Adoptions: $8,000 - $30,000
Adoptive families who pursue independent adoptions report spending $8,000 to $30,000 and more depending on several factors.  Independent adoptions are now allowed in most states, including South Carolina, as is advertising in newspapers, magazines, etc. seeking birth parents.  Costs for advertising for birth parents can be in the $5,000 range.

International Agency/Independent Adoptions: $7,000 - $25,000
Fees for international private agency or independent adoptions range from $7,000 to $25,000, including agency fees, dossier and immigration processing fees, and court costs. However, there may be additional costs for the following items which are usually not included in the fees: child foster care; parents’ travel and lodging to process the adoption abroad; escorting fees if the parents to not travel to bring the child home; and the adoptive child’s medical care and treatment.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided above is an overview of the adoption laws of South Carolina.  It is a brief introduction to a complex topic. This is not a complete dissertation of the law, is not tailored to a specific case, and you should not rely on this document. Moreover, the adoption law is new and untested; therefore, this information may change as the courts interpret the law. When you have specific questions regarding your particular adoptive placement, please address them with us, or another qualified adviser.