legal considerations

What’s Legal and What’s Not

The information in this article is not a substitute for legal advice.

In simple language, here are the basics:

It’s Illegal If...

someone gives you money or anything else of material value in exchange for your baby;
a private individual or agency arranges the adoption or permanent placement of your baby without legal proceedings and documentation.

It’s Coercion When...

someone tries to
- threaten you
- force you
- shame you
- embarrass you
into choosing to parent, to have an abortion, or to place a child for adoption when you do not want to.

You have the right to make a decision based on knowledge, and you have the right to access to information about your choices and how they might affect you and your child now and in the future.

What looks like an easy solution at 15 can be a living nightmare at 25. And what looks like the toughest decision can turn out to be the best thing you ever did.

Adoption laws vary from state to state, and they govern the way agencies, facilitators, and lawyers work, and they protect your rights and those of your child and the adopting parents.