"Raúl and María Elena are terrific!...
...We met them at the airport in Lima and they held our hands throughout the whole adoption process. We were nervous about everything: becoming parents for the first time, bonding with our new twins, communicating in Peru and navigating through the actual adoption process while in the country. They anticipated our every question and calmed our nerves. We went to Peru to meet and adopt our children; we did just that. We had complete trust in their abilities and their expertise allowed us to concentrate on our new family and not on the legal process. They have since become friends and we highly recommend their services. I would not trust anyone else to act on our behalf or to coordinate the complexities of a Peruvian adoption."
Mike and Elizabeth Bauer
Orlando, FL
"I highly recommend the services of María Elena and Raúl...
...for your in-country adoption needs. They have a heart for the children of Peru, and serve not only as legal counsel, but they have become our friends. While we were in Peru, we even attended their daughter’s wedding! Both Raúl and María Elena are well connected in the legal community, which makes the process much smoother than it really is. You can count on them to provide more service than typical lawyers. We were guided step by step while in Peru, both in Lima and in Huaraz.
We couldn’t be happier with our new son, thanks to God’s love, the wonderful, kind people of Peru, and Raúl and María Elena.
Jeff and Tammy Martin
Schertz, Texas
"We cannot say enough about Raúl and María Elena and how they worked miracles...
...in making our dream of adoption a reality. We had already identified our daughter before we started the adoption process. Once our Home Study and dossier were complete the local adoption agency we were using left us to our own recourses and told us the adoption process could take up to 2 years to complete. Needless to say we were distraught and discouraged. A friend referred us to Raúl and María Elena and literally within hours of contacting we had more information about the Peruvian adoption process then we had learned in all the months before, our hope was restored. They got us in contact with a wonderful new adoption agency and within 4 months our application was approved. Once we arrived in Peru we could see that both Raúl and María Elena had not only outstanding professional knowledge and experience but also a genuine love and concern for the children and the adoptive families. They have so much knowledge and experience that there were no surprises or unforeseen situations. They knew exactly the right people to contact and always knew what we needed to prepare for 3 steps in advance. When we submitted our application to the Embassy for the visa interview we were told that our application was "perfect", that was all thanks to Raúl and María Elena. They extended to us no only their professional expertise but also a hand in friendship. They will always be a very special part of our lives."
Craig and Sara Gorton
Miller Place, NY
"My wife, Andrea, and I adopted three girls...
...living in an orphanage in Trujillo, Peru. María Elena Baldassari and Raúl Alva were our representatives in Peru during the five week in country adoption process. Their main role was to lead us through the Peruvian adoption bureaucracy while we were in Peru. But even before we arrived in Peru, María Elena would answer any questions we had or even advocate on our behalf with the adoption agencies within the Peruvian government.
We found María Elena and Raúl extremely knowledgeable and personable. They always had all our paper work prepared for us, and guided us step by step through each new phase of the adoption. But most importantly, María Elena and Raúl are not only effective as lawyers; they are also warm and caring human beings. Their ability to speak both Spanish and English, and their gifted ability to work with children, really helped bridge the gap between our new daughters and us during our first weeks together. They would never hesitate to go above and beyond their duties as our lawyers and make us feel welcome and completely cared for. For example, on one of our newly adopted daughter's birthday, they arrived at our residence with a cake and gift for her and helped us to celebrate. By the time we left Peru, we felt that we had not only gained three daughters, but also María Elena and Raúl have become part of our family as well."
Tim Brooks
Urbana, IL
"We found María Elena and Raúl to be a great team...
...as they helped us through the adoption process. They helped us step by step through each of the stages. They managed our time wisely by always having us prepared for each step so we wouldn't lose valuable time during a very complicated process. They became instant friends to us, showing that this is more then just a process for them; it is their way of life."
Kevin and Brenda
Missouri
"Elena and I decided to adopt...
...our niece and nephew, living in Lima Peru, after the death of their father and chronic illness of their mother (Elena’s sister). We were living in Austin Texas, I am a refrigeration mechanic and Elena is a public school teacher. We are comfortable but not rich professionals. International adoptions are filled with obstacles and pitfalls. We were able with the help of Mr. Raul Alva, to complete the adoption in Lima in such a way that the immigration process was completed within 2 weeks. We had heard many horror stories from others that had tried adopting family members that have waited for years for a Visa or have been turned down because the adoption was not done in such a manner that US immigration law required.
Mr. Raul Alva was able to direct us in the process from the I600A processing to the Court hearing in Lima and the subsequent physicals and translations required by the US Embassy in Lima. Without Mr. Alva’s experience and expertise we would have stood almost no chance of completing the process. We had consulted with lawyers here in the US about the process that we were engaged in and received no better advice than we received from Mr. Alva.
We started our paperwork with the I600A, as directed by Mr. Alva in December of 2006. We were approved for adoption of 2 orphans about June of 2007. We flew to Lima for a Court Hearing that same month and received an order approving the adoption in September of 2007. We went to Lima again in March 2008 to apply for the Visas to bring the children to the US. We were approved and are now all living here in Austin Texas. My reason for giving these dates is to show the time invested by my wife and I in the process. I was in Lima for just 24 hours in June for the hearing. My wife was there longer because she wanted to visit her sister. I was not able to get away for longer due to my job. We went to Lima in March of 2008, I stayed for one week, Elena stayed another 10 days to complete the process and arrange flights. The time that we would have had to stay in Lima would have been much much longer if we did not have Mr. Alva obtaining the extensive paper work needed, up to and including obtaining birth certificates and Passports in the new names of the children.
Mr. Alva was knowledgeable, efficient and personable throughout the process. I know that many times Elena and I were troublesome for him due to our anxiety and ignorance of the process. Mr. Alva was always calm and in control even when we questioned his judgments due to advice we received from other sources. Everything Raul Alva instructed us to do turned out to be correct. Elena and I would not hesitate to recommend his services to anyone wanting to adopt in the country of Peru."
John and Elena Gruwell
Austin, Texas