Montana Code Annotated 2021

TITLE 42. ADOPTION

CHAPTER 7. FEES AND PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES RELATED TO ADOPTION

Part 1. General Fees and Activities

Limitations On Payment Of Certain Fees

42-7-102. Limitations on payment of certain fees. (1) A prospective adoptive parent may pay counseling expenses for a combined maximum of 10 hours of adoptive decision support services provided pursuant to 42-2-409 and postadoptive counseling provided pursuant to 42-4-211.

(2) A prospective adoptive parent may pay cost-sharing expenses for prenatal or postnatal outpatient mental health services provided to the birth mother. Expenses under this subsection are limited to a total of 15 outpatient mental health counseling sessions during the prenatal period and the 5 years following the birth of the child.

(3) A prospective adoptive parent may pay for legal costs entailed for providing legal counsel for one birth parent unless the birth parents elect joint representation. The right of a relinquishing parent to legal counsel paid by the prospective adoptive parent continues only until the relinquishment becomes irrevocable. An attorney may not represent both a birth parent and a prospective adoptive parent.

History: En. Sec. 148, Ch. 480, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 175, L. 2021.