Guatemala Adoption Factsheet, Page 2

II. RESPONSIBILITIES OF YOUR AGENCY & GUATEMALAN ATTORNEYS:

The U.S. adoption agency serves as the adopting family’s agent, and the Guatemalan attorney serves as an agent for your agency, acting on your behalf. Therefore adoptive parents should be kept informed of all aspects of the identification, care, and adoption process of their prospective adoptive children by the agency or agent. Your adoption agency and/or attorney are your sole contacts for the progress of your adoption in the Guatemalan legal proceedings. You should be aware that the U.S. Embassy does not have information regarding the status of specific cases in the Guatemalan adoption process or Guatemalan passport process nor does the Embassy have authority to intervene in court or in the legal processes in Guatemala adoption process. You must contact your adoption agency or Guatemalan attorney for information on your case status. The Guatemalan attorney, or other accredited representative, must bring the final adoption documents to DHS/ at the Embassy upon completion of the Guatemalan portion of the process.


If you have hired an agency in the United States to assist you in the adoption, the agency is responsible for keeping you informed about your case. Ask your agency for the name(s) of your attorney(s) and whether anyone in the attorney's office speaks English, etc.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services. For U.S.-based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and licensing office of the Department of Health and Family Services in the state where the agency is located. The Department of State does not assume any responsibility for the quality of services provided by these private adoption agencies or their employees.

Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the Web site for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at http://travel.state.gov.

Some families have worked directly with an attorney in Guatemala instead of an intermediary agency or law firm in the United States. While they face certain risks and forego the support of organizations with international adoption experience, families that choose competent, experienced, attorneys can have satisfactory experiences. Unfortunately, some parents have experienced problems working with their Guatemalan attorneys, and prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to research their options before selecting an attorney. Neither the Department of State nor Embassy Guatemala maintains a list of Guatemalan adoption attorneys or makes recommendations. The best method of finding a competent attorney is to obtain referrals from families who have had satisfactory experiences working with a specific attorney.
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Credits: U.S. Department of State