Jeanine F. Castagna

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.

My husband and I consulted with another attorney in Manhattan, and then shortly after moved to Long Island. We got a referral to call Jeanine and am so happy we did. When I spoke to Jeanine the first time and explained who we had consulted with in the city Jeanine didn't waste our time or money havin...g us have another consultation with her. That being said, within the 10 months it took us to adopt our twin girls, Jeanine never missed a beat. She answered every call, every email and although very professional, she was patient and kind and encouraging when things got tough. Jeanine was our rock in this journey and I' so glad we went with her. We truly could not have done it without her! Thank you Jeanine, your strength and wisdom is an inspiration!!

When we began our adoption journey, my husband reached out to a few attorneys. He knew Jeanine was the right person for us immediately. She called him back very quickly. He felt confident in her knowledge. He felt comfortable. When he told me about her, I was so thrilled that she did initial app...ointments with people privately. I didn’t want a group introduction with the person who would be guiding us to find our child. Jeanine is everything he initially felt and more. She is warm, kind, clear, patient and honest. We felt so safe and taken care of during the ups and downs of the process. I felt so confident every step of the way that Jeanine’s expertise would guide us perfectly. Jeanine is available. It didn’t matter when we called or emailed, we got an almost immediate response. She helped us talk to expectant mothers. We knew that when it was time for an expectant mother to talk to her, they would feel comfortable. She helped us figure out which situations seemed viable and which seemed like red flags. When our daughter showed up unexpectedly, Jeanine was there every step of the way. We had one rocky week in our process, and Jeanine spoke with us multiple times every day. She helped our daughter’s birth mother get what she needed. And our girl came home. Jeanine feels like family to us. She deeply cares for parents and children, and knows her stuff. We recommend her to anyone who asks. We feel blessed to have her in our lives.

From my first meeting with Jeanine, I knew I had found the attorney who was going to work with me and for me in my adoption journey. From the beginning, Jeanine helped me to navigate through the paperwork and certification process and made herself available to answer any questions that I had. Jean...ine's knowledge and expertise are two of the reasons that I had hired her but what I consider equally important is that Jeanine showed complete thoughtfulness and compassion when she spoke to my daughter's birthmother as she made her adoption plan. I am beyond thankful that I had Jeanine’s support through my ICPC wait time and her dedication to completing the finalization quickly. There is no one I would recommend more than Jeanine Castagna when selecting an adoption attorney.