Tag Archive for: filing fees

Adoption Costs

There are numerous costs involved in an adoption action. The total amount of expenses will vary depending on the nature of the adoption. For example, a kinship or family adoption where the natural parent(s) are cooperating with the adoption will have different costs than a case where the adoption is contested by the natural parent(s) or if the adoption is not kinship. Prospective parents will need to have background checks done prior to the adoption. Pennsylvania presently requires three (3) different background checks. Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance through the Department of Human Services, Pennsylvania Criminal Record Checks through the State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Criminal Background Check through the Department of Welfare. The costs are nominal for each of these inquiries. A home study is required for a non-kinship adoption. Due to the intensive inquiry that must be completed, this is usually a fairly substantial cost ($700+). A home study is not required for a family adoption.

There is a filing fee due to the court for an adoption petition once you are at that stage in your case. Other petitions may need to be filed depending on your circumstances and may involve additional filing fees. For example, you may need to file a petition for involuntary termination or confirmation of consent in addition to adoption petition. Filing fees vary by county but can be up to a few hundred dollars. Retaining an attorney for representation in an adoption is crucial due to the stringent requirements and procedures. Most attorneys charge hourly for their time. Ultimately, total expense can also fluctuate quite a bit depending on the nature of your case and whether everything goes smoothly and all parties cooperate versus if it is particularly contentious and additional litigation is required.

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Adoption Fees

There are a number of costs involved in an adoption action. The total amount of expenses will vary depending on the nature of the adoption. For example, a kinship or family adoption where the natural parent(s) are cooperating with the adoption will have different costs than a case where the adoption is contested by the natural parent(s) or if the adoption is not kinship. There is a filing fee due to the court for an adoption petition. Other filings that may be necessary depending on your circumstances can include a request for a home study, notice of intent to adopt, petition for involuntary termination and/or confirmation of consent. Each county will determine which pleadings require a filing fee as well as the amount. On average, it can be several hundred dollars just in filing fees. This may be something to consider if you have multiple options available in terms of counties with proper venue for your adoption case.

In addition to filing fees, the home study, where required, is at your expense. Due to the intensive inquiry that must be completed, this is usually a fairly substantial cost. Keep in mind, a home study is not required for a family adoption. If you are planning to be married, it may make sense to get through the wedding first before the adoption to skip this step. Finally, due to the strict requirements and specific procedures for a successful adoption, an experienced attorney is strongly recommended. Most attorneys will charge by the hour for the time they spend working on your case. To that end, this expense can also fluctuate quite a bit depending on the nature of your case and whether everything goes smoothly and all parties cooperate versus if it is particularly contentious and additional litigation is required.

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Filing Fees

Most family law actions that will be filed include a filing fee for the initial complaint or pleading. A part of these filing fees go to fund the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund (CTF). This fund has received approximately $40 million dollars from family law filing fees since inception. The initiative of the CTF is to prevent child abuse and neglect across the state. The main emphasis of CTF is to put prevention programs in place to decrease child abuse and neglect overall. The CTF grants its money to local community programs with the same initiatives. It is up to the respective community programs to apply with CTF to see if they are eligible for a grant. Currently, upwards of 280 community based programs across the state have received grants to aid in the fight against child abuse and neglect.

The PA CTF established a supporting organization, “Friends of the Children’s Trust Fund.” The goal of this supporting organization is to raise additional awareness and financial support for the mission of the CTF. The fund focuses on prevention because of the negative, and potentially long-term, impacts of abuse and neglect. Specifically, abuse and neglect is related to poor physical, mental, and emotional health, social difficulties and behavioral problems. There is also a corresponding economic impact in dealing with the aftermath of abuse and neglect making an even greater case for prevention as opposed to reaction. Many other states have similar funds to aid in the prevention of child abuse and maltreatment.

Please visit pactf.org for more information on the Children’s Trust Fund in Pennsylvania.

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