[brink]

In our state, you no longer have to readopt with an IR3. We did a name change only. Then I became concerned that down the road, there might be some issues, if we are the only ones who hold a copy (in the US) of the adoption decree. Our lawyer has also gotten confusing info from the state, as it just doesn't seem to be clear to people even at the state level. So for my own piece of mind, we are readopting. Now, with the name change, I've made it a bit more confusing for the lawyer, but he will get it right, I am sure. In the long run, if there were ever any questions concerning inheritance or any other legal issue, our children don't have to search through our paperwork to prove our daughter's adoption. And in our case, also, it seemed the thing to do for our older daughter. Our first two from Guatemala have photos and a day of final adoption. In her case, nada. Expensive photos, but since there is confusion for state level officials in our state, I felt it was important to finish this right. DH is told me to do what I felt most comfortable about, good guy that he is.

We do have a state issue BC, even though readoption has not occured yet. It has her Guatemalan given name along with my maiden name and married name. At the top is the legal name change info, but not typed in the blanks, just in sentence form that the legal change occured on such and such a date and her name is now such and such. I think she will get a BC with her name change as our sons have, once this is cleared up with readoption. Confusing in our state.