Why is Finding an Ethical Adoption Attorney Crucial in Adoption Cases?

Question: Why is an ethical lawyer crucial in adoption cases?

Choosing an ethical lawyer is essential for those looking for representation, but is especially crucial when searching for a qualified adoption attorney. While there are many things to look for when choosing an adoption attorney, finding a firm with ethics training and high standards of excellence is key. At Jeanne T. Tate, P.A. , 6 of our attorneys are members of the prestigious Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and are held to the highest ethical standards of practice. In Malinda Seymore’s abstract, she answers the question of why ethics in adoption cases are crucial for families. Read the excerpt below:

“Though there are thousands of specialty bar associations with aspirational ethical codes, the Academy of Adoption Attorneys is unusual among such associations in having a mandatory ethics code, and a grievance procedure that leads to written decisions sanctioning members. Ethical lawyering in adoption cases is particularly important given the high stakes involved in cases implicating the best interests of the child and the constitutionally protected rights of parents. The Academy promises enhanced ethical standards in its members, but it faces a number of barriers, common to other specialty bar associations, in fulfilling that promise.”

-Seymore, Malinda L., Specialty Bar Associations and the Marketing of Ethics: The Example of the Academy of Adoption Attorneys (December 3, 2020). Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy, Vol. 35, 2021, Texas A&M University School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 20-43

Click below to read Malinda Seymore’s entire paper on this subject.