How long should a child adoption between consenting, agreeable, non shithead adults across state lines take using a lawyer? On average? Let's say Wisconsin to Mississippi for example.

No idea, its probably highly dependent on state laws and the interstate thing likely complicates it. That being said, 2 families I know have adopted recently (in-state). One took around 3 months the other 7 bc the lawyer didn't file paperwork right.

Without getting into details, we are nearly at about 4 months now because the lawyer fucked up the paperwork. I'm resending in paperwork right now that was originally sent in December. Fucking ridiculous. It doesn't help that this lawyer moves at a snails pace either.

In my experience it depends on how much money you have.

Thanks! That helps

Although that does not... ever... guarantee pedigree.

I can certainly understand your frustration. If it helps any, the lawyer is a human being, and all humans make mistakes. Unfortunately, with any government bureacracy, it can often be very difficult to understand HOW they want to see the paperwork done, and because the adoption is passing through a specific county's court system, every county probably interprets things a bit different even though the state law is the same. So even if your lawyer has done this same paperwork in the same state before, it's possible the county court system in particular is the one that is at fault. I know it's frustrating, it was heart-breaking to hear our friend's relay their story over facebook. The irony of it is the friend's that had a seamless adoption process had their baby in-custody at a later date, but still got full adoptive rights sooner than the other couple. It seemed so un-fair, and it definitely stinks.

I assume you're the one adopting. Do you have custody of the child currently and you're just awaiting the adoption process to finalize? If so, stop sweating the hiccups in the process, enjoy the little one, and let the lawyers handle it. It's government bureacracy at it's best and as much as I dislike many lawyers, they are good at navigating the bureacracy even if they do take a wrong turn here and there.

The problem with the lawyer is she dragged her heals getting the ball rolling thinking this would happen easily. Now here we are months later back at square one because she screwed something up which I know isn't entirely her fault

I'm sure I'm going to get shredded for this, it's a long story I don't feel like typing out but no it's technically my kid being adopted. It's not as bad as it sounds, one night stand, another state, yadda, yadda, Shes now happily married, I don't feel like typing it all out right now. Ive came to terms with everything emotionally and we both just are sick of this dragging out. I'll also be glad to not send a chunk of my paycheck across the country

Depends if it is an adult or juvenile adoption.

With first wife we had 3 daughters.  Divorced when daughters were 13 - 16 years old. All three daughters refused to live with their birth mother.
Birth mother later died of an hospital acquired infection where she worked as an RN.

I had met a lady via my work years before, she an X-Ray tech and I a BioMedical Field Engineer, professionally our work had involved contact on a weekly to monthly basis for ~ 15 years. She also a divorcee, no children. We started socializing and she fell in love with my girls.

We raised the girls as family and had to more of our own.

About two years ago the two oldest daughters wanted a hush hush talk with me. Wanted to know if it would be OK to be adopted by my wife.
Come to find out there were birth mother family problems as far as next of kin if / when I died. Neither daughter is married.

We asked a local attorney friend if it could be done. So due to time to prepare legal paper work and post notices we appeared in family court just over a year later.
In Illinois both the birth parent and non birth parent adopt as a couple.

Two of the happiest daughters and their now parents left that courtroom.

Total cost was a hug for the attorney from the daughters. He had known what they went through was proud of them as we were.

Sometimes their is a happy ending.

We will hit 6 months in April since the lawyer cashed my check. This has grown beyond frustrating. This attorney is almost totally inept, it's like she's a high school girl playing an attorney for a HS project. She has yet to even get the file transferred from WI to MS. The courthouse is about as uncooperative as can be but I expect some effort out of someone being paid $200 an hour. The mom and adopting husband who is in the AF is being transferred to England in August and they need a passport for who is technically currently my son. I refuse to sign the passport consent as long as I'm sending child support across the country every other week. We are reaching critical mass. We went from being totally amicable to them now not being happy with me. They have to understand my position though, how could they not. I think they tried to soak me for money as long as possible and this adoption would just happen easily in a couple months. That hasn't happened, now I'm the bad guy. I was sold on paying this attorney with the expectation this would be expedited and end my child support requirements sooner. That hasn't happened. What a disaster