Is this price accurate?

First: It is always better to have too much documentation, as opposed to too little.

Second: You are looking for a lawyer to prepare for you a legalized document for less than US$60? May I respectfully suggest you simply pay the RD$2000 and get the work done? Lawyers deserve to earn as well, and that seems like a more than reasonable amount to me.

Have a nice trip!

Unusual

It would be highly unusual for one parent to be traveling with a minor and not have a document from the other parent authorizing such travel. If the check-in agent at the airport doesn't ask, they are not following procedure and are risking a fine to the airline from immigrations from the destination country if the child's not legal to enter. And I agree with Joe, RD$2,000 is more than reasonable.

Clarify

Are you the father or mother of the child? Are you a Dominican or a foreigner? To what country are you trying to take the child.?

You cannot leave this country without the other parent signing that you can.

My stepsons have not seen their mother since they were babies but she still has to sign when they leave to come with me to Uk and the last time they were 17 and 16.

You do need the document. You will always need it until the child is 18.

2000 RD$ is cheap.

Matilda

You can find all the answers here:

http://www.dr1.com/forums/travel-questions/45803-requirements-travel-minors.html

I don't want to sound cheap or crazy here either put I have done work with lawyers in Bavaro selling a business and buying one and buying a car and for a simple document I never paid more than 1,500 pesos each. I would imagine that a simple document of consent shouldn't cost that much since it only takes a few minutes to do. And the lawyer makes enough to cover their 10 minutes worth of work.

selling and buying a business and the LEGAL paperwork for never more than 1500 pesos?
that's great, you found the perfect lawyer, make sure those business papers are registered aso.
depending on the case i also pay for the lawyer papers to sign business purposes 1500-5000 pesos per case, including shipping the papers so i do not have to travel to my lawyers office, she is located in st dgo.
to the OP,
the rate is not a rip off.
maybe there would be an other who hives you the same for 1500,
but you have one and the papers are worth that.
don't worry,
you did not get scammed by your lawyer.
Mike

Eralc777,
follow Mido's link to read Hillbilly's contribution.
a point of interest i found there while reading that been this:

5. If the minor (s) is/are going to travel with just one of the parents, the other parent must issue a notarized and legalized authorization. The Immigration office must also authorize the minor's exit. All this must be accompanied by two photo copies of the authorizing parent's c?dula or passport)

Click to expand...

it says that if you, as one of the parents, travel with the minor, the other parent, in that case the father of the minor, needs to get that paper/documentation.

hope that helps
good luck
Mike

Mike - these were local cafeteria and comedor transfer papers, not a multi-million dollar business. In addition, the papers to sell or buy a car are again transfer papers.

What she is asking for is a simple consent letter that would be signed and stamped. It should not take more than 15-20 minutes. I know people in Bavaro that have done it for the same price that I was charged to do my papers and there has never been an issue with the paperwork done.

I was not implying that she was getting ripped off, just that I know that she does not live in Bavaro where things like that are generally more expensive.

hey Shelly,
don't get me wrong,
i don't wanna question your papers from your lawyer,
and i mean what i wrote above,
you are lucky to have a lawyer like that here in bavaro,
not so long ago there have been only the ones for the big rip off even on sensible small stuff.
i paid i.e. for the papers of my car also exactly 1500 pesos,
and she paid to send the papers by Metro, lol.
of course plus the tax for the traspaso.
those rates compare mpre or less over the island to each others today, on anything between 1000 and 2000 pesos for small sealed and signed papers i would not waste time and look for an other one, it is the usual price range.
you are right, it will take the lawyer less than 30 minutes to receive the father's papers (it is the father who has to get that permission for her, not the other way, when she wanna travel with the minor), check them for authenticy(sp?) and then sign that the real father agreed to the mother's travel with his child.

an additional note to the OP:
you should make sure to have all required papers/documentations ready and up to date and at your hand on that travel, the european authorities are known to ask their Q's into the details and they want to see the required documentation.
a single traveler(male or female) with a small one from an other country/nationality of birth is suspicious for them and they step in.
we had such travels in the family to europe, in our case germany.
Mike

Just a thought - while at one stage you had to get a notarised letter from the other parent, this year the rule was changed and you have to present a form that is issued by Migraci?n - we did this for our trip in June. Our lawyer organised it for us but maybe it can be done independently.
I can't find the thread right now, but it was mentioned on the boards.

thanks Chiri,
great advice.
that been new for me.
i will need that for next summer's travel to europe,
cause aside of the own crowd we plan to take our Nany with us(she will be 12 by then), so soon i need to check for new regulations aso.
Mike

funny .........
for more than 17 years traveling with our son several times a year outside the DR; i was never asked this authorization papers ....
a few weeks ago when i left with our son almost 18 years (missing 2 months)
the migration asked for it!!!!!!!!!! well my son told that the grand parents are waiting at the airport and he misses them at lot.........and then the immigration told well then no problem and they were very nice.
once i did these papers when our son traveled with an different family and paid 2,400 pesos for it, and he was not asked to present these papers.....

$2000 sound very reasonable.

you need the letter from the lawyer AND the paperwork from immigration. and you need to get it every time you leave the country. i don't think you can get travel paperwork that lasts forever. i think probably because the situation changes and maybe the father is not always going to be willing to let the child go.

here in santiago, there is a lawyer in the offices right next door to the immigration office. she charges 1200 for the letter. and the immigration papers cost about 1,000 (but you can get the VIP same day service for more)

that said, i have been told numerous times in the airport that i don't need the paperwork, so i haven't been using it. my husband goes to the airport with me and waits until i'm in just in case there's a problem and he can give his verbal word. but it's not happened yet.

i'd say, better safe than sorry though and get the papers if you're worried.