Complaint Review: Michael Shorstein - Brian T. Kelly - Shorstein & Kelly - Jacksonville Florida

I used these attorneys several years ago ( almost a decade ago) and encountered several issues (hopefully they have been resolved by now, but doubtful).

(1) The amount of money charged to the adoptive parents versus what actually goes to the birth mother is ridiculous! Sometimes close to only 10% or less goes to the birth mother for living expenses, contrary to what is told to the adoptive families (they are told it's somewhere around 30-40%). And the birth mothers are usually chastised for any "extra expenses such as eating drive thru before long doctors appointments or living beyond their means" even if they live in a rust bucket. 

(2) If the birth mother has her own insurance, & pays all the co-pays the "medical costs" section doesn't change, the money gets swallowed up by the firm for "possible later use" never to be returned or refunded.

(3) The attorneys claim to be supportive of both sides, but when an issue arises, or after the birth, the attorneys and their staff quickly show their true colors(of only respresenting or answereing questions for the adoptive parents- quite misleading huh?).

 (4)As the birth approaches, the birth mother starts to be treated as a number and no longer "part of the family". The  final paperwork in the hospital to release the baby is very cold and direct, more like a business transaction.

  (5)  The counseling is a joke before and after birth " is this what you want?" Yes, okay sign here. "Oh, you have post partum depression, that's nice, go talk to a shrink, bye."

From the start, these attorneys are were great and the staff was very welcoming, but after the birth and finalization of adoption, you (both sides) quickly realize how you are just a number (or a dollar sign) to them. I would not recommend them to anyone and refused to use them for my 2nd adoption for these reasons.  I do hope that they have changed their ways, but I have heard a few other families ( within the past 5 years) have experienced the same type issues.

I delt with Brian Kelly in a hospital room and you are not alowed to take medicine 12 hours before you sign papers and you are also cofussed if you think they are anything but professional. They tell you once you sign papers there is no going back and changing your mind that is why they give you a copy of the contract several months before you deliver. Dont spread lies about these men they provide the best care possible 

Adoptive parents aren't the ones with the rights. The lawyers, agencies, and judges are the ones with the rights.

The unethical adoption agencies and adoption lawyers, who are paid for by the prospective adoptive parents, tend to manipulate both sides. They take financial advantage of prospective adoptive parents, and use pregnant women and mothers to transfer rights to the adoptive parents. Once adoption happens, the natural parents don't have any rights. This is because there aren't typically lawyers who will even take cases, much less take them seriously. Why? Because it is their job and income to steal babies and give them to the highest bidder.

Now, there are good ethical agencies, and good ethical adoptive parents. However, Shorstein & Kelley are not ethical. Neither is Kathleen Stevens, their adoption social worker from Jacksonville Jewish Services.

I did not look into adoption, because I had never planned to do adoption in the first place. I had planned to parent my child. Due to abusive doctors, lawyers, and an agency social worker, I was coerced into surrendering my baby. This was before every person had a cell phone with the internet, and I was In The Hospital room, the day after I gave birth to my daughter, when they came in with their paperwork for me to sign. I didn't have the opportunity to research adoption in my hospital bed. I was still recovering from giving birth. I didn't have any way, for example, to research the claim that I could change my mind and revoke my signature, as the lawyer had stated. Why? Because Florida is a zero revocation period state.


Some helpful guides for ethical prospective adoptive parents:
http://www.ethicanet.org/
http://reformadoption.com

The review above about Shorstein and Kelly, to whom I have no relationship, is very misleading. A pregnant mother or new mother has far more rights than do adoptive parents. The law is clear in this and all other aspects of adoption. The information on adoptions is readily available all over the internet, via free consultations with myriad adoption attorneys, and via adoption agencies. A simple phone call or thirty minutes of effort on learning about the laws regarding adoption would have brought about a different result. By the quality of her writing, one must assume that prior to the birth she would have been intellectually competent and well enough educated to seek out information and make well-informed decisions.

The woman above presents herself as a victim yet she never took the time to look into adoption, learn the details, and learn her rights prior to giving birth. Had she been on the fence about adoption, why wouldn't she put at least a modicum of effort into researching the issues concerning such a big decision? She could simply have said no to adoption.

I am sorry that she feels that she was not treated fairly. But one must question her judgment by the fact that she took no initiative to

I also used these attorneys. I too changed my mind and they did not make me feel bad for doing so. They did list reasons for not keeping my baby and they also listed reasons for keeping my baby. They were very kind and helpful. I would recommend them to anyone thinking about adoption.

I also used these attorneys. I too changed my mind and they did not make me feel bad for doing so. They did list reasons for not keeping my baby and they also listed reasons for keeping my baby. They were very kind and helpful. I would recommend them to anyone thinking about adoption.

I also used these attorneys. I too changed my mind and they did not make me feel bad for doing so. They did list reasons for not keeping my baby and they also listed reasons for keeping my baby. They were very kind and helpful. I would recommend them to anyone thinking about adoption.