It is often beneficial to seek a legal consultation before taking any steps towards an adoption. A legal consult can assist prospective parents in planning for process financially, emotionally and legally.

In some instances, prospective parents should not contact the birth parents or birth families at all. In fact, in some international adoptions, unwarranted contact can even be a violation of law, and will prevent the adoption from ever occurring.

In domestic adoptions, where there is an absent or reluctant parent or one or more "potential" fathers, notification to these people can create problems and make the situation more difficult emotionally for everyone if it is not well-thought-out. Creating a plan for how to contact necessary parties in a legally sufficient and respectful manner will be in everyone's best interests.

In many private domestic adoptions one or more of the biological parents may a relative of (or friends with) the adoptive parents. In that case, it can be important for the potential adoptive parents to have a medical release, or temporary orders from a court showing that they have authority to have physical possession of the child. This can often be taken care of early in the first consultation and will make practical matters easier while the case is pending.

Cases become more legally complicated when there are already court orders in place regarding the child, the Child Support Division already has a file open on the child, or the biological parent and child have accepted governmental benefits. These situations must be considered carefully and dealt with in the appropriate legal manner, and hasty action in the case is not a good idea.

Steps taken at the very beginning can have long-term effects on the entire adoption process!