home study info?

This is not the standard practice, but apparently, there are exceptions where a relative who has raised the child since birth is adopting. I just do not understand why you waited so long. In any event, since your lawyer told you about it and not knowing the jurisdiction you are in, just follow his/her advice.  Court alone approves the adoption. Usually, a social worker does the home evaluation, study. 

Where I live a home study includes a criminal database search of everyone in the adoptive home, and ya gotta be licensed to do that. But maybe it's waived for a relative placement adoption in TX. HEY! You can read the TX adoption code yourself! Why didn't I think of that?

I always believed that the court decides who will do the home visit, not the adoptive parents. There are social workers who are trained to conduct home visits for foster care/adoption. 

I'm not qualified to argue with your lawyer, but you might want a second legal opinion, this time with a lawyer who specializes in adoption (assuming your current lawyer doesn't). Does your pastor or school counselor even know how to do a home study? That's a pretty specialized skill, so I'm very surprised that a lawyer would suggest that someone other than a social worker could do it.