Top Adoption Lawyers in ZIP 91403 | 2 available

Firm: Los Angeles County office:

15260 Ventura Blvd , Sherman Oaks , California 91403

Practice Areas: Adoption

Randall Hicks limits his practice to stepparent adoption and adult adoption. He has dedicated his law practice to adoptions for 37 years. He has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and is rated "preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating (achieved by only 10% of all attorneys in the US).. Virtually all other attorneys doing stepparent and adult adoptions are family law practitioners, meaning 99% of their practice is likely divorce and child custody. Because Randy does nothing but adoptions, he believes he can do them better, faster, and less expensively. Most importantly, his approach is very personal as he understands the importance of the creation of a family and had dedicated his professional life to that one goal.. His Stepparent Adoption Center features a flat legal fee of only $2,250 for adult adoptions (adopting a person or stepchild age 18 and over) which includes all legal documents and the final court hearing, even the court filing fee and his office costs. Stepparent adoptions of a minor child (under age 18) are a flat legal fee of $2,500. This includes not only the usual work associated with the adoption (preparing all the needed legal documents, preparing the absent parent's consent and requesting their consent and the final adoption hearing. Extra legal fees can occur in a stepparent adoption (of a minor child) if the absent parent can't be found or won't consent as extra legal proceedings would be required. Randy also completes the paperwork to generate an amended birth certificate for the adoptee, naming the adopting parent or stepparent as one of the birth parents, and changing the child's name as desired. Amended birth certificates can also be created in adult adoptions.. Thanks to a change in the California Family Code in 2017, most attorneys don't know that stepparent investigations can now be done by a private adoption agency, not just the county entity. This means that the typical time to complete can be reduced to about 3-4 months, rather than 12 - 15 months when done by the county. (Adult adoptions do not require any home study or investigation so are usually faster.). Randy is the author of several leading adoption books, most recently STEP PARENTING: 50 One-Minute DOs & DON'Ts for Stepdads & Stepmoms and ADOPTING IN AMERICA: How To Adopt Within One Year (for adoptive parents planning a traditional adoption, revised edition 2018). Randy's books, and their focus on ethical and affordable adoption, have been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, and on television programs like CBS This Morning, The Home Show, Mike & Maty, Leeza Gibbons, and Sally Jessy Raphael. Randy was also the host of the 1991 PBS educational series, Adoption Forum.. For information about stepparent adoption, please visit . For adult adoption, please visit . He has offices in Riverside, San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties. His initial consultation is free and typically takes about 30 minutes to fully explain the stepparent or adult adoption process to you. He does his consultations by video (Zoom), so you don't need to take time off work to travel to his office.

Firm: AdoptHelp Law Center

15450 Ventura Blvd., Suite 202 , Sherman Oaks , California 91403

Practice Areas: Business & Commercial, Estate Planning, Probate , Taxation - State & Federal, Trusts, Wills, Adoption

Steve Wang graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor degree in Political Economies. Steve graduated with honors from Golden Gate University School of Law where he earned a juris doctorate degree and a master's degree in tax law (LL.M. in Taxation). Steve has served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Marshall Whitley, Alameda County Probate Court as well as the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, San Francisco County Superior Court.. Prior to joining AdoptHelp, Steve worked as a transactional attorney at the nationally respected law firm of Musick, Peeler & Garrett, LLP. Steve has had the honor of being selected by Los Angeles Magazine as a “Southern California Rising Star” among California attorneys. He also has been honored by Pasadena Magazine as a Top Attorney.. Steve’s two immigrant parents moved their family to the United States in order to provide their children with better opportunities in life. With this in mind, Steve’s lifelong goal has always been helping families and children in need.. Steve’s practice is devoted to domestic adoption, including termination of parental rights and interstate compact compliance. In addition to successfully representing adoptive parents in the finalization of their adoptions, Steve devotes countless hours assisting underprivileged children on a pro bono basis. His legal experience and lifelong goal were the driving force behind his decision to pursue adoption work.. Steve was recruited by AdoptHelp for both his excellence as an attorney and his dedication to building families through adoption. Steve is also an experienced trust and estates attorney. Steve brings to AdoptHelp a combination of elite education and training, seasoned experience and an unfettered passion for helping many people realize their dream of becoming a family and making sure their families are protected in the event of an unexpected event.. Steve has a strong work ethic and is an integral part of the AdoptHelp team. Steve specializes in domestic adoptions and estate planning and shares the goals of providing each client with superior service and legal expertise in every step of their adoption journey.