Brad faces adoption red tape

Pitt faces adoption red tape

William Keck
USA TODAY
Dec. 5, 2005 9:52 PM

Aside from love, Brad Pitt, 41, has a few legal reasons to make his Mr. &
Mrs. Smith co-star, Angelina Jolie, 30, his real-life Mrs. Smith.

The actor's decision to file to be the adoptive father of Jolie's two
children, Maddox, 4 and Zahara, 11 months, will result in months of
paperwork, in-home supervision and a steep fee he could avoid with a
wedding.

"This is not the easiest way of doing things," says David Baum, president of
the Academy of California Adoption Lawyers. "Frequently what you do if you
are in a relationship with someone and you want to adopt their children, you
marry them and do a step-parent adoption. There are extra requirements when
you are not related by marriage to the children you are adopting."

In Los Angeles County, the fees for a step-parent adoption are $775, and the
process probably would take three to six months, Baum says. But with Pitt
filing as a second parent, the star can expect to pay a home-study fee of

Red Sanders...

Pitt

Red Sanders...

$2,950 and submit to far more scrutiny.

And Pitt shouldn't expect star treatment. "It isn't about how famous you are
or how much money you have," Baum says.

The county also will seek letters of reference, which will remain
confidential to protect the children, as do the home-visit reports.

Red Sanders...

with

bklyntv...

Well, it's probably more the in-home visits, letters of reference and
home-study that article is supposing would present more of a problem.

Who would want to submit to all that scrutiny if it could be avoided?

Red Sanders...

We're adopting a girl from China so I hear you. A lot of paperwork,
physicals, fingerprinting, notarizing, authentication etc. Will end up
costing $20,000. But it'll be worth it.

camille...

There really is no scrutiny. The letters are just written by friends

Preesi...

Congrats Red

and sent in. The home studies are a piece of cake - they ask some
basic questions and check to see that the house is safe. Any adoption,
you get fingerprinted, they check to see if you have a criminal record,
plus you need a very basic medical exam (which he probably already has
from his movies). All of this is standard for any adption. That's
about it.

When asked why Pitt would opt to seek adoption as a second parent rather
than marry Jolie and adopt as a step-parent, his publicist had no comment.

Us Weekly editor Janice Min says the extra work might be worth it to the
marriage-shy couple: "These are two people for whom marriage hasn't
necessarily worked out, especially for Angelina."

camille...

Oh for god's sake, it's a piece of cake. I've done it twice. There are

camille...

I've done two adoptions, the first domestic, the second from China.
Domestic is very very easy, which is what Brad will be doing. China was
more complicated. What region are you adotping from and when are you
planning to go to China?

Mortimer Schnerd, RN...

You know, these people change partners like I change skivvies. Will they throw

camille...

This is just an idea, but after you file all the stuff it takes several
months for it to get legalized in the courts. Maybe he wants to
actually BE their dad when he and Angie get married? Or at least
closer to that legal position. I must say when he is adding on as the
father, when there is already a mother in place, the system may work
faster, I don't know...

CliffB...

As far as the marriage, i think they're juust waiting on the matching
designer blood phials to come in from Tiffany.

the kids in the hamper as well?

3 home studies (first 2 in agency's office, about one hour in length
each) and one at the home, about 45 minutes, mainly to see that it is
safe. Cost for two would be about $3,500. Big woop.

I assume he has alrady done one or two of these home studies. (they
need to be a few weeks apart.)

He would definitely do a private adoption, not go throug the state.