Working together can secure the future
The procedure for acquiring a copy of your adoption papers will differ depending on the state in which the adoption was conducted. In most states, adoption records are sealed once the adoption is finalized. Privacy laws exist to protect the privacy of all parties involved in the adoption process. However, if all parties involved agree to a release of information, it is possible to gain access to adoption records. If only one party has given consent for information to be released, only nonidentifying information from the adoption records will be released. Secure a copy of an adoption certificate through your state's government agency by seeking permission and complying with the court system's regulations.
Instructions
1. Join an adoption support group to gain knowledge and information about current adoption records regulatory laws.
2. Request the names of any government agency contacts and information that is not usually made available to the general public. Request assistance from the group in gaining a release of the adoption certificate or acquiring identifying information.
3. Gather nonidentifying information about the parties involved, including but not limited to age at time of adoption, eye and hair color, weight, height, ethnicity, education level and any medical information. It may also be helpful to determine the age and sex of other children if the birth parents had other children at the time of the adoption. Request this information from the adoption agency, adoptive parents, or the state vital records office.
4. Ask the birth parents to consent to a release of information. Doing this will enable the courts to rule out privacy laws as a barrier to releasing the adoption records. If you need help, request that the adoption support group identify the geographic location and names of either adoptive parents or children. The support group may then provide or recommend an anonymous third party that can obtain consent for a release of information.
5. Obtain consent forms from all parties involved and petition the court in the state and county where the adoption was conducted for a records release. If you were unable to gain consent yourself or through an intermediary, go to the local district court and request a records release directly before the judge.
6. Acquire the forms for a records release petition from the court clerk or hire a lawyer to prepare them. Privacy laws may prevent you from gaining the records, especially if either of the parties involved in the adoption filed an affidavit preventing the release of identifying information. Nevertheless, seeking a court order for the records release is the correct way to proceed.
Tags: adoption records, parties involved, records release, release information, support group, adoption certificate, adoption conducted