Yowza and Yeouch

Who knew that condensing a parent profile into two pages for a PBM letter would be so painful? But it got itself done, I got them printed this morning, and now it’s off to Telephone Lawyer.

Another lawyer’s office to whom I had sent a letter to responded to our letter via email, which I thought rather curious. They are also receiving both a PBM letter and a profile because they didn’t give a preference.

Yesterday, I ordered “free” business cards from vistaprint.com. The cards may be free, but the shipping is not, especially if you want them anytime soon. Smart cookies. I had priced them out at Ofc Max, and they wanted $25 for 300. I get $300 for my $13 shipping. Sold.

Anyway, when I went in for my physical and asked whether I could drop a profile with them, Awesome Nurse said, “Drop off business cards if you have them. They’re easier to distribute.” Since I had already planned to order some cards anyway, it just lit the fire under my butt. As soon as I get them, they’re getting a stack.

~~

I also broke down and got a Google Voice number. I’m putting it on message only for now, but we have to have some sort of communication with potential birthmothers from places like our website.

~~

Here’s something that burned my ass this weekend when I opened my mail. Another of the batch of lawyers from the letters I mailed sent a letter in return. This particular lawyer has all sorts of gold stars she pasted over her firm website, back patting, etc. – well, she’s an accomplished lawyer, and a judge pro tem at that, so what do you expect? But she came recommended from two other lawyers, so a letter went off to her back at the end of August.

Boss? Doesn’t charge to hold a profile for viewing. Neither does the lawyer with whom we have worked, nor Telephone Lawyer, nor North Part of the State Lawyer. I had been warned that some will charge to hold the profile, and I already told you of the buddy of Boss with whom we have an appointment - $50 to hold the profile, $100 for the consult – which, to me, is not unreasonable in the scheme of things. We have an appointment with him next week.

So I open the envelope for Achievement Lawyer. Usual form letter, blah blah, “In order for me to maintain your letter, I require that you come in for a consultation.” Okay, I’m good with that, just like Boss’s friend and like others we’ll run across. No, the kicker comes with the next line.

“I charge $285.00 for the consultation.”

Gasp! Choke! Gag! Holy crap. That’s nearly three hundred dollars for her to poke through our lives with not much in return other than she’ll show our profile to those who come through her door. It makes me wonder what she’s going to charge if she does a placement.

The consult, she continues, lasts anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours.

Christ on a pony. Even DH said, “Ow.”

~~

HUGS to Niobe (see previous post); to RB, whose match fell through and needs some lovin’; for Jeny’s no-news frustrations; and to Erica, who is a wee bit overwhelmed! ;)

Wishing one and all have had a happy and safe weekend…