Jeanine F. Castagna

There are not enough words to express my gratitude and appreciation for Jeanine. Aside from being knowledgeable, passionate, a complete professional and always working in her clients best interest, Jeanine guides her clients through what can be a very emotional process with care and dedication. Jeani...ne is always available to answer questions, provide insight and guidance, and give you the reassurance you need when you are feeling vulnerable and unsure. When my situation had an unexpected hurdle, Jeanine was my first phone call and she jumped right in to action to ensure the best for the baby, as well as myself. She took the time to check in throughout to ensure we were all doing ok, which meant so much to me and I knew the legal aspect of my situation was always taken care of. I highly recommend Jeanine to anyone exploring private adoption.

We chose to work with Jeanine after having done a lot of research on different adoption attorneys in the area. Three years and a beautiful daughter later, we're still very happy with our choice. Our adoption situation came together at the last minute. Our daughter was born late on a Sunday night, and... Jeanine's availability, expertise, and ability to respond quickly were instrumental in our happy outcome. Not only were we able to reach Jeanine at 10 p.m. on a Sunday for guidance, but by mid-morning Monday she had spoken to the hospital social worker, gotten key health information from the birth mother, and helped us retain an attorney in the birth mom's state to go to the hospital and go over the adoption paperwork with her so an adoption plan could move forward. Less than 24 hours after she was born, we had our little girl in her arms. Knowing that we had an older child back home in New York waiting to meet his baby sister, Jeanine did everything that she could to get us through ICPC in as short a time as possible. And when our girl was just four days old, we had clearance to bring her home! Jeanine's responsiveness was not a surprise to us, because we heard from countless friends in our adoption group how she was similarly a "rock star" in their adoption story. She was also remarkably accessible to us to answer questions throughout our adoption search. We were so spoiled by her tendency to answer emails within minutes, that if it took her an hour or two to respond, it felt like a long time. Private adoption can be a stressful process, and it was a relief to know that we had a knowledgeable and caring professional to guide us throughout!

5 stars isn't even enough to describe the wonderful experience we had dealing with Jeanine. Jeanine is honest, caring and possesses a wealth of experience in adoption law. She is ethical, conscientious, and a consummate professional - three qualities that are essential to making the adoption experien...ce a positive and successful one. Jeanine always makes herself available to her clients, whether it's to provide reassurance or advise on complex situations. The adoption of our second child involved a somewhat delicate situation. Jeanine handled it with patience, compassion and thoroughness, putting our minds at ease and ensuring all went smoothly. I can't recommend her highly enough. We are truly grateful to her.

The road to adoption is full of hope, but can be daunting. Having a lawyer with compassion, patience, and the experience to get things done is so important. Jeanine Castagna is that lawyer. In times of confusion, she helped keep us focused - and through the emotional rollercoasters, she kept us ste...ady. She is knowledgable, kind, funny, empathetic - a great resource for adoptive parents and expectant parents. Her efficiency and keen understanding of process and adoption law make her a reliable source of information as well as a wonderful lawyer. I’m happy to have worked with her and hope to do so again!

Having decided that adoption was meant to be our road to parenthood, we quickly began researching the different options.  As anyone can tell you that has been through this process, you immediately become overwhelmed and unsure what the future holds.  After much contemplation my husband and I decided ...independent private adoption felt right for us.  We wanted to take a hands on approach to building our family.  With much reluctance and anxiety we took the first step.  We met Jeanine at a workshop and instantly realized we had just met the person that would support us legally.  She was clearly bright, knowledgeable, caring and interested in helping us grow our family.  Over the next handful of years Jeanine became an invaluable part of "Team Family".  She kept us clear headed and focused on our goal of becoming Mom and Dad during the most difficult times of our journey.  She effortlessly navigated through the endless procedures and piles of paperwork while handling any legal obstacles that came our way.  We now have completed our family and our boys are a beautiful blessing from above.  Quite honestly I hold Jeanine in the highest regard as a professional and a person.  She will always be a part of our journey...always be part of our family.