What to Look for in an Indiana Adoption Attorney When You Put Your Baby Up for Adoption

By: Grant Kirsh

If you are thinking about how to give up your baby for adoption in Indiana, one of the most important decisions you will make is who you trust to guide you through it. Not all adoption attorneys, and not all adoption agencies, are the same. Knowing what to look for can make an enormous difference in your experience and your peace of mind.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we have been practicing Indiana adoption law since 1981. We are a family-run firm based right here in Indiana, and we think you deserve an honest look at what separates good adoption legal counsel from the rest.

Experience in Indiana Specifically

Indiana adoption law is specific. The rules around consent timing, financial assistance, putative fathers, and parental rights termination are not the same as in other states. You need an attorney who knows Indiana, not just adoption law in general.

Ask any attorney or adoption agency you speak with: how long have you been practicing adoption law in Indiana specifically? How many Indiana adoptions have you handled? Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. has handled over 5,000 private newborn adoptions in Indiana and has been doing this work in this state since 1981. That depth of Indiana-specific experience is hard to replicate.

Genuine Local Presence

Some national adoption agencies lease shared office space in Indiana to look local, but their staff, their decision-making, and their knowledge base are based somewhere else. They may not know Indiana hospitals, Indiana social workers, or Indiana courts.

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we know the hospitals, social workers, and doctors across this state, not just the courts and judges. We live and work in Indiana. When you call us, you reach people who are actually here in Indianapolis, not in a call center somewhere else.

A Track Record of Protecting Birth Mothers

A good adoption attorney puts birth mothers’ interests front and center, not as an afterthought. Ask any attorney or agency you consider: what do you do to protect the birth mother’s rights and wellbeing?

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., we were the first adoption professionals in Indiana to offer that birth mothers have access to their own independent attorney, paid for entirely by the adoptive family. We were first because we believed then, and still believe, that you deserve someone in your corner whose only job is to look out for you.

Transparency About the Process

A trustworthy adoption attorney will walk you through every step of the process clearly, what the law requires, what your rights are, what financial help is available, and what happens at every stage. If an attorney or adoption agency is vague, rushes you, or makes you feel like you cannot ask questions, that is a warning sign.

Cost to You

At Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., our services are 100% free to birth mothers. You will never pay us anything, not for a consultation, not for guidance, not for help finding a family, not for being here to help you. If you are ever told by an adoption attorney or adoption agency that you owe them money, walk away.

Families Who Are Ready

One practical sign of a well-established Indiana adoption firm is whether they have families ready and waiting. We typically have over 100 families waiting to adopt, meaning you have real choices, not just one or two options. Whether you are in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Carmel, Fishers, Bloomington, Hammond, Gary, Muncie, Lafayette, Terre Haute, Kokomo, Anderson, or Greenwood, you deserve real options.

Call or text us at 800-333-5736. Visit us at IndianaAdoption.com. Your call is free and confidential.

About the Author
Grant Kirsh is a second-generation adoption attorney and owner of Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., a family law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana that has been serving Indiana families since 1981. Grant graduated from Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 2013 and has personally handled nearly 3,000 foster care adoptions and his law firm has handled over 5,000 private newborn adoptions. He practices all forms of domestic adoption, with a deep personal commitment to expectant mothers considering adoption in Indiana and Indiana’s foster care system and the families and children it serves.