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# Shorstein & Kelly

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://adoption-usa.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Adoption & Social Media: What Prospective Adoptive Parents Should Know](https://adoption-usa.com/adoption-social-media-what-prospective-adoptive-parents-should-know/): Social media has become part of nearly every family's life, and adoptive families are no exception. From sharing exciting milestones to connecting with friends and relatives across the country, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok offer wonderful ways to celebrate your family's journey. But for prospective adoptive parents, social media also comes with unique considerations. 
- [Why Birth Mothers Need Support After Birth in Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/why-support-for-birth-mothers-after-birth-is-crucial-in-adoption/): The days and weeks after birth can be one of the most emotionally complex times for a birth mother. Even when an adoption plan is carefully considered and confidently chosen, the emotional impact often continues long after the paperwork is complete. Without continued care, birth mothers may feel isolated, overwhelmed, or unsure how to process what comes next. Ongoing emotional, mental, and practical support—including counseling and connection through a birth parent support group—plays a vital role in long-term healing, well-being, and confidence.
- [Physical and Emotional Support for Birth Mothers After Delivery](https://adoption-usa.com/physical-and-emotional-support-for-birth-mothers-after-delivery/): Bringing a child into the world is a life-changing experience. For birth mothers, the postpartum period often brings a mix of emotions and physical recuperation from the demands of childbirth. Recovery after delivery includes both healing the body and processing post-birth emotions. These are both areas in which many mothers seek guidance and support from others, especially when adoption is a part of their journey.
- [Advice from Adoption Attorneys: How to Share Your Adoption Decision](https://adoption-usa.com/advice-from-adoption-attorneys-how-to-share-your-adoption-decision/): Deciding to place a baby for adoption is deeply personal, and telling family and friends can feel just as emotional. You may worry about how others will react or what to say. While the decision is yours alone, having the right support and the right words can make these conversations feel less overwhelming.
- [A Guide to Private Adoptions in Jacksonville, Florida ](https://adoption-usa.com/a-guide-to-private-adoptions-in-jacksonville-florida/): Private adoption allows a birth mother to play an active role in shaping her child’s future, and it’s the route preferred by most prospective parents.
- [How Open Adoptions Work](https://adoption-usa.com/how-open-adoptions-work/): With an open adoption, the birth mother selects the adoptive family and, in most cases, continues to have some level of contact with them and the child after the adoption. The type and amount of contact is different with each adoption based on each family and their unique interaction preferences.
- [Advantages of an Open Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/advantages-of-an-open-adoption/): Research shows that some level of openness in an adoption almost always benefits everyone involved. Learn more about the advantages:
- [For Birth Mothers, How Much Financial Support Is Available?](https://adoption-usa.com/for-birth-mothers-how-much-financial-support-is-available/): Birth mothers in Northeast Florida need financial assistance for various reasons. For some, the difficulties of being pregnant make them unable to work. In other cases, negative reactions to an unplanned pregnancy make a woman’s living situation too stressful to endure. 
- [Do Birth Mothers Get Financial Help for Adoption?](https://adoption-usa.com/do-birth-mothers-get-financial-help-for-adoption/): Yes, Florida adoption law allows for financial support during the pregnancy and for six weeks after birth. These funds are provided to cover pregnancy costs and reasonable living expenses.
- [How Much Does Adoption Cost a Birth Mother in Jacksonville, FL?](https://adoption-usa.com/how-much-does-adoption-cost-a-birth-mother-in-jacksonville-fl/): An unplanned pregnancy can be a seriously stressful life event. If you’re facing this situation and aren’t ready to be a parent, adoption is an option – but is it financially feasible? How much does adoption cost a birth mother?
- [Technology’s Positive Impact on Open Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/technologys-positive-impact-on-open-adoption/): Discover Why Birth Mothers Embrace Open Adoptions
- [Birth Mothers Find the Right Adoptive Family for Their Baby](https://adoption-usa.com/birth-mothers-find-the-right-adoptive-family-for-their-baby/): As a birth mother, finding the right adoptive family for your baby is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the adoption process. By choosing adoption, you’ve become a positive force for life, so it’s natural to want the baby to have the best family possible.
- [What are Birth Father Rights in Florida?](https://adoption-usa.com/what-are-birth-father-rights-in-florida/): Yes, you can put up a baby for adoption without the father’s consent under certain circumstances. In Florida, the mother has complete responsibility for making the decisions about the future of her newborn baby. The birth father does not have the same rights.
- [Financial Support for Birth Mothers Giving Up Baby for Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/financial-support-for-birth-mothers-giving-up-baby-for-adoption/): If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy, you should know that Florida adoption law says birth mothers giving up a baby for adoption are entitled to financial help throughout pregnancy. This support covers basic living necessities (rent, food, phone), medical expenses, and more. Putting your baby in an adoption plan is one of the most loving things you will ever do, but also one of the hardest.
- [What Happens at the Hospital When I’m Giving My Baby Up for Adoption?](https://adoption-usa.com/what-happens-at-the-hospital-when-im-giving-my-baby-up-for-adoption/): If you’ve made the life-giving, loving decision to give up your baby to an adoptive family, you may have uncertainty about what will happen at the hospital. As your due date nears, it’s natural to feel anxious about the delivery, especially if it’s your first baby. Knowing what to expect can help you feel less scared and more confident. 
- [I’m Not Ready To Be A Parent.<br>What to do if abortion is not an option?](https://adoption-usa.com/im-not-ready-to-be-a-parent-what-to-do-if-abortion-is-not-an-option/): Whether you’re faced with an unplanned or untimely pregnancy, it’s usually extremely difficult to evaluate options on your own. Without any judgment, pressure, or obligation, Shorstein & Kelly offers free counseling focusing on helping you look at and evaluate your options. For some women, one option may include parenting of the newborn by the child’s parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other family members. For families with strong core value systems, these situations turn out very well. Consulting with an outside counselor often allows you to have a more independent look at the emotional, psychological, financial, and environmental factors that impact such an important decision -- one that will affect the rest of your life and your baby’s too.
- [Can I give up my baby for adoption at the last minute?](https://adoption-usa.com/can-i-give-up-my-baby-for-adoption-at-the-last-minute/): YES, whether you found out about the pregnancy with one week to go or you just had the baby, Shorstein & Kelly Adoption Attorneys (“Shorstein & Kelly”) specializes in last-minute adoptions. We hear from late-term birth mothers who did not know they were pregnant and have not made any arrangements for an adoption.
- [Teen Pregnancy – Letter to the Editor](https://adoption-usa.com/teen-pregnancy-letter-to-the-editor/): The Florida Times Union editorial on teen pregnancy did a good job presenting the challenges of teen pregnancy, but it was not comprehensive in covering the solutions to those challenges, namely the ability to choose adoption once a teen pregnancy has occurred.
- [Adoptive Parents: Separate Expectations From Reality](https://adoption-usa.com/adoptive-parents-separate-expectations-from-reality/): Generally, most prospective adoptive parents (“PAPs”) are obsessed with the immediate desire to become parents.  After trying for many years to have a biological child, these PAPs are turning to adoption as their final option. By the time they reach an adoption professional, they have waited too long, spent too much money, and are ready to parent right now – but are they??
- [What is the difference between Open and Closed Adoptions?](https://adoption-usa.com/what-is-the-difference-between-open-and-closed-adoptions/): Gone are the days when a woman felt disgraced by finding herself pregnant and unmarried. Also gone are the days when married couples felt inadequate because of their inability to conceive a child. Today, pregnant women and married couples embrace the adoption process as the best alternative to their seemingly desperate situations. In fact, they soon discover that adoption has become a widely recognized and socially acceptable option.
- [What is a Board Certified Adoption Attorney in the state of Florida?](https://adoption-usa.com/what-is-a-board-certified-adoption-attorney-in-the-state-of-florida/): The certification of adoption attorneys allows the public to differentiate lawyers proficient in the area of adoption law from attorneys who do not understand the unique complexities of the adoption statute. Board Certified Adoption Attorneys in Florida are considered experts in the field of Florida adoption law.  Both Michael Shorstein and Brian Kelly, of Shorstein & Kelly, are Board Certified Adoption Attorneys.
- [Birth Mothers! Do you wonder what your grown child will think?](https://adoption-usa.com/birth-mothers-do-you-wonder-what-your-grown-child-will-think/): This article was written by an Adoptee who was placed for adoption by Shorstein and Kelly in 1993.  At that time most adoptions were semi-closed, meaning that if birth parents received post placement communication, it was minimal.  After recently meeting with her, she agreed to share these reflections.
- [Adult Adoptions: A Growing Trend in Florida](https://adoption-usa.com/adult-adoptions-a-growing-trend-in-florida/): Earlier in 2012, when the media learned that a 40-year-old South Florida polo tycoon adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend as his daughter, the awareness of adult adoption skyrocketed.  It was reported that the tycoon used the adoption process to protect his fortune from the family of a man he killed in a DUI crash.  Once his girlfriend became adopted, as the legal child of the tycoon, she was immediately entitled to at least a third of a multimillion dollar trust fund.  The tycoon’s attorney argued that “the adoption was meant to secure the assets of his children and family investments, nothing more.”  Nevertheless, ever since this case became public, Shorstein & Kelly has been inundated with requests for information about adult adoption.  As such, set forth below is a summary of the typical reasons, requirements and results for completing an adult adoption in Florida.*
- [Adoption Agency vs. Adoption Attorney – a birth mother perspective](https://adoption-usa.com/adoption-agency-vs-adoption-attorney-a-birth-mother-perspective/): When a birth mother first requests information about developing an adoption plan, she often asks about the differences between working with an adoption attorney or an adoption agency. After talking with hundreds of birth mothers who have experienced working with both an adoption attorney and an adoption agency, we have compiled a list of four areas mentioned most often.
- [Overview of an adoption plan](https://adoption-usa.com/overview-of-an-adoption-plan/): Gone are the days when a woman felt disgraced by finding herself pregnant and unmarried. Also gone are the days when married couples felt inadequate because of their inability to conceive a child. Today, pregnant women and married couples embrace the adoption process as the best alternative to their seemingly desperate situations. In fact, they soon discover that adoption has become a widely recognized and socially acceptable option.
- [Creating a compelling profile](https://adoption-usa.com/creating-a-compelling-profile/): For many adoptive parents, the most daunting part of the process doesn’t even involve the child directly. It’s the profile – the detailed document you create about yourself so birth mothers can select you as parents. Since this document affects your chance of being chosen, it’s a good idea to put good effort into its content.
- [What about a lawyer for the birth mother?](https://adoption-usa.com/what-about-a-lawyer-for-the-birth-mother/): One of the differences between hiring Shorstein & Kelly as a law firm and hiring an adoption agency is that Shorstein & Kelly only represents adoptive parents. Adoption agencies say that they represent everyone who participates in the adoption plan. As attorneys, it is not ethical for us to represent both the prospective adoptive parents and the birth parents at the same time.
- [Adoptions may be impacted by drastic drop in U.S. fertility rate](https://adoption-usa.com/adoptions-may-be-impacted-by-drastic-drop-in-u-s-fertility-rate/): Fertility (the ability to conceive children) in the United States has reached a record low, driven primarily by falling birthrates among teens and women in their early 20’s, according to a recent report published by the National Center for Health Statistics. The current rate for 2013, 1.86 births per woman, puts the U.S. slightly below many other developed countries.
- [Stepparent Adoption Process Information](https://adoption-usa.com/stepparent-adoption-process/): Adopting a child is one of the most exhilarating moments you can ever experience. The wonderful feeling is magnified when you adopt a stepchild because the adoption is formalizing a relationship that already exists. By officially adopting your stepchild, you become the legal guardian of your spouse’s child thereby removing all logistical questions as to who is the child’s true parent.
- [15 questions adoptive parents should anticipate](https://adoption-usa.com/15-questions-adoptive-parents-should-anticipate/): All adopted children have questions about their origins, and sooner or later they’ll want answers. Working as board certified adoption attorneys for more than 25 years, we’ve become very active with adoptees and their desire for information about their birth parents. Here are a few observations that will help you, as adoptive parents, anticipate your child’s future questions.
- [Social Media’s Effect on Post Adoption Communication](https://adoption-usa.com/social-medias-effect-on-post-adoption-communication/): Both technology and communication after an adoption have changed quite a bit over the past 20 years. As birth mothers and adoptive parents become more “connected”, the way they communicate becomes less formal. They normally have plenty of time to get a comfort level with each other during the adoption process.
- [Jacksonville’s Adoption Attorney](https://adoption-usa.com/jacksonvilles-adoption-attorney/): For Michael Shorstein, handling adoptions is a way of life. The Jacksonville attorney doesn’t just specialize in adoptions; it’s all he does. “That’s all I do, 100 percent of the time,” Shorstein said.
- [Family Treasure](https://adoption-usa.com/family-treasure/): Michael Shorstein’s inch-square classified ad appears everyday in the same spot, underneath the notices of lost pets, above the personals. “ADOPTIONS,” it says in capital letters, in between two hearts. “Many loving families.”
- [Shorstein & Kelly Receive National Recognition](https://adoption-usa.com/shorstein-honored-for-adoption-law-skills/): Jacksonville attorneys Michael Shorstein and Brian Kelly have been honored with the prestigious Congressional Angels in Adoption award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.
- [Shorstein to Chair Committee](https://adoption-usa.com/shorstein-to-chair-committee/): The Florida Bar has selected adoption attorney Michael A. Shorstein as the inaugural chair on the newly formed committee serving the State of Florida’s Adoption Law Certification Program for a three-year term.
- [Shorstein & Kelly Become Board Certified in Adoption Law](https://adoption-usa.com/shorstein-kelly-become-board-certified-in-adoption-law/): JACKSONVILLE, FL — Michael A. Shorstein and Brian T. Kelly of Shorstein & Kelly, Adoption Attorneys at Law, P.A., are two of the first attorneys in the state of Florida to become Board Certified in adoption law by the Florida Bar.
- [Brian Kelly: Pro Bono Work Helps Troubled Families Succeed](https://adoption-usa.com/brian-kelly-pro-bono-work-helps-troubled-families-succeed/): Brian Kelly’s job is to bring families together. His firm, Shorstein & Kelly, specializes in adoption law. And while there are many non-monetary rewards in what he does, he wasn’t quite prepared for the explosion of gratitude he received last summer when, through a JALA pro bono case, he helped a “really, really nice older couple in their 60s adopt their own 6 year-old granddaughter.”

## Pages
- [Sitemap](https://adoption-usa.com/sitemap/)
- [Adoptive Parent Information](https://adoption-usa.com/adoptive-parent-information/)
- [Adoption Advisor Step Parents](https://adoption-usa.com/adoption-advisor-step-parents/): Like any other adoption, it’s a very personal decision that requires careful consideration and should be in the child’s best interest. Some benefits and features of stepparent/relative adoption to consider:
- [Brian T. Kelly](https://adoption-usa.com/brian-t-kelly/): Brian T. Kelly is a dedicated Florida-based adoption attorney, passionately guiding birth mothers through the adoption process. As the managing partner of the firm's Daytona Beach office, Brian provides personalized one-on-one service, ensuring each client receives the care and support they deserve.
- [Michael A. Shorstein](https://adoption-usa.com/michael-a-shorstein/): A third-generation Jacksonville native, Michael pursued his education at the University of Florida, where he earned a degree in accounting before becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) with a prominent accounting firm.
- [Adoption Advisor](https://adoption-usa.com/adoption-advisor/): The adoption process is a personal journey, and we help you at every turn. Here are the steps we'll take together:
- [Daytona Beach Office](https://adoption-usa.com/daytona-beach-office/): At Shorstein & Kelly, our team of private adoption attorneys has been helping birth mothers and adoptive families in the Daytona Beach, FL community for over 30 years. We help pregnant Florida women through the emotional process of giving a baby up for adoption, taking great care to provide everything needed for both mother and baby during the process as adoptive families are found.
- [Jacksonville Office](https://adoption-usa.com/jacksonville-office/): At Shorstein & Kelly, our team of private adoption attorneys has been helping birth mothers and adoptive families in the Jacksonville, FL community for over 30 years. We help pregnant Florida women through the emotional process of giving a baby up for adoption, taking great care to provide everything needed for both mother and baby during the process as adoptive families are found.
- [Testimonials](https://adoption-usa.com/testimonials/): I am a mother who worked with Tara and Michael over 7 years ago. They have gone above and beyond to make sure they kept every word they promised, and helped me feel comfortable through the entire process. It's really hard when looking at adoption...but this group of people made it a great experience. I love the updates I receive each year, and they always make sure they get them to me. I would recommend these amazing people to anyone that is considering adoption.
- [Disclaimer](https://adoption-usa.com/disclaimer/): This website provides general information about adoption and specific information about the adoption services offered by Shorstein & Kelly, P.A. (“Shorstein & Kelly”).  This information should not be construed as legal advice or as a substitute for speaking with an attorney. Shorstein & Kelly is licensed to practice law only in the State of Florida.  All information is based solely on Florida law unless stated otherwise.
- [Identified Adoptions](https://adoption-usa.com/identified-adoptions/): Shorstein & Kelly has over 30 years of adoption experience and has developed proven methods and practices to implement and complete a successful identified adoption plan.
- [Birth Mother Information](https://adoption-usa.com/birth-mother-information/): Helped with 3,000+ Adoptions
- [Adoptive Parents](https://adoption-usa.com/adoptive-parents/): With over 30 years of experience and assisting in more than 3,000 placements, Shorstein & Kelly is one of the most highly respected adoption firms in the country.
- [Birth Mother FAQs](https://adoption-usa.com/birth-mother-faqs/): Here are some of the questions we get asked most often. Our adoption attorneys, counselors, and women adoption specialists have over 30 years of experience responding to all-type adoption situations.
- [Adult Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/adult-adoption/): Grandparents and stepparents often adopt their grown grandchildren and stepchildren, especially in situations where the adoption would allow additional benefits for the adoptee. Foster parents adopt their long-time foster children when they reach 18 years of age. There are other situations which are appropriate for adult adoption, including:
- [Stepparent Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/stepparent-adoption/): In Florida, a stepparent adoption allows for the adoption of a stepchild. If you are adopting a grandchild, it is referred to as a grandparent adoption. If you are adopting a niece, nephew, sibling, or great grandchild, it is referred to as a relative adoption.
- [Grandparent Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/grandparent-adoption/): Many grandparents who have custody of their grandchildren, whether through DCF or by family agreement, consider grandparent adoption. The reasons (and benefits) for choosing grandparent adoption include:
- [Relative Adoption](https://adoption-usa.com/relative-adoption/): In Florida, a relative adoption allows for the adoption of a niece, nephew, sibling, or great grandchild. If you are adopting a grandchild, it is referred to as a grandparent adoption.  Adopting a stepchild is a stepparent adoption.
- [Blog](https://adoption-usa.com/blog/)
- [Services](https://adoption-usa.com/services/): We've helped more than 2,500 birth parents and adoptive families experience the gift of adoption since 1992. Today we remain as focused on adoptions as when we first opened our practice. We specialize in all types of adoptions, including birth mother support, adoptive parent services, family adoption, and step-parent adoptions. If you’re unsure where to start, our adoption advisor can help guide you through the next step.
- [About Us](https://adoption-usa.com/about-us/): Board Certified Adoption Attorney
- [Home](https://adoption-usa.com/): For more than three decades, Shorstein & Kelly Adoption Attorneys has helped pregnant Florida women through the emotional processof giving a baby up for adoption. We provide everything needed for both mother andbaby throughout the process of finding adoptive families.
- [Contact Us](https://adoption-usa.com/contact/): Contact us Get in touch What is your current situation?
I'm pregnant and considering adoptionI'm hoping to adoptI'm a Stepparent hoping to adoptI'm a Grandparent hoping to adoptI'm a Relative hoping to adoptOther × Shorstein & Kelly
Adoption Attorneys Offering Services Statewide.
Offices in Jacksonville
and Daytona Beach.
Mailing address:
3821 Atlantic Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32207 We are here and ready to talk when
you are! Jacksonville Home Office 3821 Atlantic Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32207 (904) 348-6400 +1 (833) 212-2382 Daytona Beach Office 210 S. Beach Street Suite 202 Daytona Beach FL 32114 (386) 673-1234 +1 (833) 212-2382
- [Privacy Policy](https://adoption-usa.com/privacy-policy/): This privacy policy applies to information collected online from users of this website. Your privacy is very important to us. This policy will inform you of the information that we, Shorstein & Kelly, may collect from you, when and how we might use that information, how we protect the information, and the choices you have with respect to your personal information.