“Albert has guided us through two infant adoptions. The world of private adoption can be confusing on a number of levels, so being able to work with someone with as much experience as Albert was extremely reassuring. In addition to his wisdom throughout our journeys, he’s a wonderfully compassionate person—an essential quality when dealing with some of the sensitive situations that arise. We were so thankful to make this journey with Albert, and recommend him to anyone that asks.”

Erin and James

“I cannot recommend Albert Lirhus more highly. I am an attorney, and I was practicing in the adoption field when we used Albert for our adoption, twenty years ago. He was wonderful and supported us every step of the way through the challenging adoption of our daughter, now a college sophomore. He is a consummate professional; he is thorough, knowledgeable, and most of all, kind and caring. They don’t get any better.”

Theresa and Greg

“Janna demonstrated her breadth of legal expertise and knowledge when we hired her to represent our family for our adoption finalization. Her guidance was calming and friendly as she explained the legal processes and next steps for us. Janna and her team were available to answer all our questions and concerns. We highly recommend her!”

Melanie and Lando

“We used John Keckemet to create our wills and estate planning documents after we used his partner, Albert Lirhus, to finalize our adoption. We were pleased with the work that John did. He was very patient, willing to explain the differences between different facets of estate planning. The documentation he created was very thorough. I would recommend him, especially for those who need a little hand holding (not literally) through this difficult and often tedious process.”

Anonymous Client

“We first used Janna in 2013 when we finalized our son’s adoption. She was laser focused on making sure we had everything lined up perfectly and the adoption finalization went through smoothly. We chose to use her again in 2016 for our daughter’s adoption and Janna again delivered flawlessly. If a third child didn’t sound so exhausting, we’d wholeheartedly use her again!”

Tee and Troy

“Best adoption lawyer in the known universe! Albert was our adoption lawyer in an independent adoption. In addition to knowing everything about adoption law, which he did, he also acted as a mentor, coach, and cheerleader when that was what we needed. Not to mention that his bills were extremely reasonable, that he was always accessible (he insisted on giving us is home phone number). It was obvious that Albert took great joy in helping his clients become parents, and that was amazing. I couldn’t recommend him any higher, nor really find any fault at all at how he performed and treated us. Go hire him!!”

Anonymous Client

“We had been struggling to finalize the adoption of our granddaughter after our daughter’s death. Some international aspects of our case had created complications, but Janna worked through each one of them with ease and we were finally able to put this to rest. I hope we never need a family law attorney again, but if we do, we’ll call Janna first!”

Dori and Bill

“John represented our family in the area of Estate Planning. He created a Revocable Trust Agreement along with the other necessary documents ie. Wills, Reciprocal Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Directives, etc. John is patient and has a way of communicating legal jargon in a plain and simple easy to understand way. We are confident that the thoughtful work that John did for us will not only benefit our family in this lifetime, but also in the life of our daughter after we pass away.”

Anonymous Client

“My husband and I retained Janna to help us with two adoptions from the state’s foster care system. Janna came highly recommended and did not disappoint! She had the legalities of our adoption process well under way in just a couple of weeks with a court date set for us shortly thereafter. We were so impressed with her and Lirhus & Keckemet’s entire staff. They communicated promptly, were extremely knowledgeable, and helped us walk through all the details of our significant event. We cannot write enough positive comments about our experience and are grateful Janna and her team were part of our adoption journey!”

Tracy and Aaron

“We were lucky to get to work with Janna and her team for our private domestic adoption. Even before we even really started the adoption process we spoke with Janna and she gave us great tips and advice on what to expect and prepare for. It was also so comforting to know we were working with someone who herself had gone through the adoption journey. We always felt we were a priority and all the work was done efficiently and with care. We knew we could bother her with any question, no matter how silly it was or what time of day. We are so grateful for Janna and her team for helping us become a forever family!”

Chris, Amanda, and Billie

“Albert handled the adoption of my son. My wife and I did considerable research before deciding he was our first choice for this job. Albert and his staff did not disappoint.
Albert’s willingness to make personal sacrifices for his clients was tested in our case. Our son was born on Albert’s wedding anniversary—a big one, I think the 20th or 25th—and work needed to be done on the evening he and his wife had set aside to celebrate. Albert did the work when it needed to be done, letting his personal life take second place. I was touched.

Newborn adoption cases in Washington are delicate in the 48 hours after the baby is born. Albert gave us sound advice to help us avoid any missteps during this time. We followed his advice, and our adoption came to pass.

I am a lawyer myself, so my professional experience figures in my admiration of Albert’s work. I routinely refer to him, with full confidence, anyone who needs help with an adoption.”

David

“Janna was truly a gift to our family. She assisted us in our adoption procedure and her knowledge of the laws regarding the different counties in WA made navigating this difficult, time consuming task, easy and actually joyous! From the interview process to the courtroom, she was always available to us with any little question we had. Thank you Janna for being part of our adoption process, your professionalism, knowledge, and wonderful personality made it a breeze.”

Rebecca

“Janna was wonderful to work with. She was very good at describing the process to us and keeping us informed about where things were at. She was very responsive, timely and professional. Will definitely use her services again!”

Margit

“Janna Annest was our adoption attorney. We were out of state, which adds a few other steps, and therefore time. Janna was very personable and we always felt at ease under her guidance. Her and her team were thorough and diligent from the start, which made our adoption process very smooth. Our son was born in November and finalized end of January! We are extremely happy with our adoption journey. Janna and her team played a large part in that.”

Danielle and Fred

“Dear Albert, I’m writing to thank you for the gift of my family. In the years of struggle through fertility treatments and a very rocky adoption journey, you stand out as the bright spot in years of darkness. It is directly because of your help that my husband and I were blessed with our greatest treasure, our son.

We met you at one of our lowest points. We had been working with a national adoption agency and had suffered through three adoption disruptions. Despite taking heavy financial losses and far more painful emotional disappointments, we decided to take one more chance with the agency because we couldn’t bear to give up our dream of being parents. As it was an interstate adoption, the agency had us hire you as our lawyer, and hire another lawyer in the young lady’s state to represent her.

Throughout the months of waiting you were helpful and conscientious, but as so often seemed to happen to us, the birth mother changed her mind after she gave birth and broke off all contact with us and the lawyers. It was a devastating blow to us, but you promised to stay in touch with us down the road.

Albert, you showed us the one thing absent in the entire adoption process for us, compassion. The adoption agency was far more concerned with getting our money than making an adoption connection. We were totally disheartened and facing the gut-wrenching possibility of not being able to have a family. Having been totally let down by the adoption agency on every level, it was a shock when we got a call from you a few months after the last disruption. Out of the goodness of your heart, you kept us in mind when an adoption opportunity presented itself to your office. You included us in the group of prospective parents you showed the couple placing their child. When I tell this story to family and friends, I stress the fact that you were under absolutely no obligation to do this. You acted out of kindness to us, something we had yet to experience in the entire difficult adoption process. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that your call alone was a point of light in a very dark tunnel.

The couple ultimately picked us. This marked the beginning of the happiest period in my life. I’m a mom to an amazing little boy who I cherish above anything in the world. My husband and I get to experience thousands of moments of joy as our son grows and learns. We get to take him on adventures and experience numerous wonders through his eyes. We get to be both proud and endlessly entertained as he participates in sports and school. Most importantly, we are blessed with our son’s unconditional love as our family journeys through life together.

Albert, you are our angel. You made our family possible. We were close to giving up and your intervention gave us back our dream. My son is the best thing that ever happened to me. I will be grateful to you and sing your praises for the rest of my life. Thank you for going above and beyond for my family. Thank you for making our happiness possible. ”

Stacie Hutchins

“Janna has been open, honest and welcoming from our initial meeting with her regarding the legal finalization of our adoption. Her expertise and professionalism is coupled with friendliness and a true interest in having her clients successfully complete the adoption process. I highly recommend Janna Annest and her staff!”

Courtney and Jennifer

“Janna was absolutely awesome! My husband and I adopted our first son in May 2009 and Janna was always “on top of it”, letting us know what’s next, etc. and just being a general encouragement. Our son was born in Louisiana and I had to spend 3 1/2 weeks there, away from my husband and two daughters at home, and Janna was such a help during a VERY stressful time. We’re about to use Janna again as we adopt our 2nd son who we have been fostering since birth, almost 4 years. There was absolutely no question in our minds who we wanted to help us complete this adoption.”

Susie and John