ABOUT ACAL

 

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ACAL MEMBERSHIP:

All applicants must be admitted to practice law in California, must be sponsored by an existing member, and must fulfill one or more categories below:

~ An Adoption applicant must have completed at least one hundred adoption matters, which can be any combination of stepparent, adult, international, independent, dependency, and agency adoptions, and terminations of parental rights;

OR

~ An ART applicant must have completed at least two hundred assisted reproduction matters, including any combination of  drafting/negotiation of surrogacy contracts; drafting/ negotiation of egg donor contracts; representation of intended parents through a complete surrogacy matter; representation of surrogates or egg donors; and preparation and completion (through entry of judgment) of parentage actions.

OR

            ~ the applicant must have special expertise in adoption or ART law.

For more information, please submit an inquiry to info@acal.org.

 

ACADEMY LAWYERS MAY ASSIST YOU WITH:

 

Adoption

  • Representation in adoption matters: independent, agency, international, step-parent, inter-state, adult, relative, co-parent and/or foster-adoption finalizations..
  • Information about home studies, CDSS-Adoptions, social workers, adoption service providers, confidentiality, termination of parental rights, and special needs adoption assistance.
  • Adoption costs such as advertising and legally permissible living expenses.
  • Screening adoption situations for commitment, health and social history, legal problems and the likelihood of success.
  • Trust account administration.
  • Representation in adoption litigation.
  • Guidance in locating appropriate birth parents or adoptive parents.
  • Assistance with birth parent housing and medical resources.
  • Referrals to adoption-competent mental health counselors 
  • Thorough explanation of the various adoption processes and options.
  • Creation of an adoption plan around the birth and transfer of custody.
  • Coordination with hospital personnel and medical care providers.
  • Referrals and resources.

Assisted Reproduction

  • Representation in any or all aspects of the case.
  • Risk assessment.
  • Parentage (paternity/maternity) judgments and/or stepparent adoption.
  • Contract negotiation and drafting.
  • Review of third-party reproduction technology contracts for egg, sperm, or embryon donation, whether with the selected medical facility, matching program, or private parties.
  • Trust account administration.
  • Guidance in locating appropriate surrogates, intended parents, or egg, sperm, or embryo donors.
  • Referrals and resources.

Other Family Formation Alternatives

  • Representation of foster parents in juvenile court dependency matters.
  • Representation in guardianship proceedings.
  • Representation in Special Immigrant Juvenile proceedings.
  • Representation in embryo donation/embryo adoption matters.
  • Information about procedures, timelines, risk assessment.
  • Risk assessment and general advisement in all areas of family formation law.
  • Referrals and resources.

 

CURRENT OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS:

 

PRESIDENT: Deborah Wald

PRESIDENT-ELECT: Cynthia Fruchtman

SECRETARY: Greg Masler

TREASURER: Bonnie Hiler

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR: Shelley Tarnoff

TECHNOLOGY CO-CHAIRs: Michelle Evans and Alison Foster Davis

MCLE CO-CHAIRS: Katyadela Calderon (Adoption) and Rich Vaughn (ART)

LEGISLATION CHAIR: