[JUF]

I saw on the Guat board that Florida has revoked IAR's license. They had a Panama program...I hope no one here was working with them. Here is the link to the article. If this doesn't work go the Miami Herald's home page and search for "adoption". I think it was in today's paper (12/6).
All the best to everyone,
Julie

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...ty/7426966.htm

[JUF]

PS) There website no longer works.

[jhscats]

Oh my gosh! That's the agency we started out with. The only reason we chose them is because there was a little boy from Guatemala on their website that we wanted. But after a month or so, we started getting bad vibes. Guatemala basically shut down then, and we decided to switch countries AND AGENCIES! Thank goodness...

Boy was I naive back then (it was June of this year!) I've learned so much from reading and researching online. I just feel so bad for the people who were still with them and perhaps close to completing their adoptions. I wonder what will happen to them...

Joan

[Sharon]

This article is terribly disturbing. I hope the officials in Florida will continue to investigate, and that the United States government will make some effort to locate the parents of the smuggled babies and return their children to them.
~ Sharon

[ydh]

I am pretty new to these chat rooms- but I do appreciate the info I have gotten from watching this board. I am working with this agency and devestated. I am trying to salvage everything. We are so close to a referral. any advice?? I have contacted my lawyer in Panama and the dpt. of families to make sure my dossier is where it should be. Man- did that hack of this agency. They are still communicating with me as if nothing is even happening!

[reb621]

Y,
How do you know you were close to a referral? Very few families have received referrals, and those that have, are still very tentative...with travel dates being moved back constantly.

Your best bet is to continue to work directly with the Panamanian attorney (as an "independent" adoption). The hardest part (assembling the dossier) is already done, so the rest should be a breeze! The only other thing you'll have to do by yourself is handle the immigration paperwork in Panama (to bring the child back to the states) once the adoption is completed. And by then, we can all walk you through that part.

Be sure to maintain direct contact with your lawyer, and if he's legit, assure him that you will refer him to other families and that he will not need to maintain contact with this agency, even if they threaten to "take away his business". (They're already in enough hot water, so I doubt they'd do that.)

Your attorney needs to remain "pendiente" with the DNA. That means he needs to check in with them often and "hang" on your case (pendiente also means "earring" in Spanish)....This, of course, is assuming he still agrees to work with you without the aid of your agency.

Does he speak English, or do you speak/write Spanish? Does he have an e-mail so that you can write him and ask for regular updates (bi-weekly or monthly)? Don't expect a referral anytime soon (unless you want to adopt a 5-yr-old boy! My attorney knows of one who is available NOW!). But hang in there. ALL adoptions in Panama used to be done independently, so you can do it, too!



Rebecca

Biased, of course, since I'm also adopting independently.

[ydh]

I spoke with a local adoption attorney today- who has finalized adoptions once the child is in the US. He is willing to call the panama lawyer and discuss working indep. without this agency. -- then helping me with the post-placement end (I haven't really researched that yet). But I worry that as soon as he does that this will all explode. the lawyer in pan will be on the phone with the agency- the agency may even sue me for all I know. The US attorney says that since their lic is suspended- they cannot deliver- so I am legally ok--BUT the agency is fighting to get the license re-enstated-(theDFC at FLorida) told me this. some of their clients are being transfered to another Florida agency to complete their adoptions- but frankly- I am sick of anything associated with this adoption agency.-- I feel so in the middle- either choice can end up without our daughter.

[reb621]

Can you contact the Federal Trade Commission (since your agency does interstate commerce), the Florida Attorney General's office, etc. to get their "permission" to adopt independently without being sued by IAR???

As the other attorney stated, whether they work to have their license reinstated in the future or not, RIGHT NOW they cannot conduct business legally, therefore, you do not have an obligation to stay with them! (Have Florida's attorney general, or whoever it was that revoked their license, verify this, though.)

Last, but not least, visit http://www.theadoptionguide.com/ and see what other IAR families are doing to dig themselves out of this mess. There are tons of links to helpful advice and legal resources as well.

[TanyaB]

Y,
I am so sorry this happened to you. Please stay positive. I think may also be able to change to another adoption agency by just signing a power of attorney form for that agency. It may not be the most inexpensive route, but it is an option you may want to keep in mind.
Good luck you are in our thoughts and prayers,
TanyaB

[Kim P.]

Hi "Y"........

I'm SO SORRY to hear of this horrible event with IAR!!!!! Keep your chin up, though, because all is not lost....

Can you get copies of your paperwork?? EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER SENT VIA I.A.R.?????

Will you lose your money/investment with these guys???

If you can't get your $$ back..... I would definitely choose to go with an independent attorney.... it will cost oodles less, and your paperwork is already in the system... so MAYBE the attorney will give you a break.

When we switched attornies midstream, our new attorney deducted from her fee what we had already paid to the previous attorney.

Can you give us an update??? Maybe Reb and I can be of help (I had a private attorney, and I believe REB is doing the same)....

hang in there....
~kim p.

[ydh]

Any advice about working with the Panamanian lawyer independently?? I spoke with another attorney that works thru Faith International on Friday- He was very helpful- but after all I have learned- I am thinking of hiring this local attorney to help me with the post-placement and go without an agency. The attorney at Faith said he would be happy to help me even if I did not go with his agency. He was pretty sympathetic about what was going on with IAR. The first thing will be to contact our Panamanian lawyer and discuss doing this - I don't think she knows what IAR is into-- but the Faith attonry says it hit the papers down there last week. If you hear of anyone else in this situation- I started talking with the licensure dept. of DCF in Florida instead of the legal dept. - they were much more straight foward and helpful. I am just so furious- trying to keep a cap on it so I don't do anything that will get ME in legal trouble, or cause the DNA to be suspicious of ME- maybe I am just getting paranoid. you know what makes me insane- we had to tell our boys what is going on- my youngest (11 ) was almost in tears! They just cannot understand. That makes this even worst!! It is a good thing I am not working now. I have been on this computer or the phone solid for the last week and half, trying to get facts straight and beging to realize how to pick up the pieces. IAR has not said ONE THING!!! The only response was a scolding email after she found out I called the DNA and my attorney!! I wanted to SCREAM-
but back to the issue- any advice on going this alone will be so appreciated. yh

[Kim P.]

I'd stick it out with the attorney you have already connected with in Panama who KNOWS the situation with IAR.......

BUT...........

1. Discuss his/her fees.... from top to bottom.... get it in writing... have it signed/notarized/stamped by the gods, etc......

2. Ask the attorney to contact DNA and explain that IAR's clients are VICTIMS in the mess, not accomplices........

3. Get specific about what you expect from him/her.... what he expects from you, etc.

Remember.... most Panamanian attorneys are not INS experts, and do not expect to have to take care of that process for you.... although they WILL provide you, of course, with all the documentation you need and that INS requires...... that, of course, is their job...... Going through the INS process at the Consulate there is not at all difficult.... but the attitudes of some of the staff there can be trying at times... you just gotta get thick skinned, and let things roll down the shoulders.....

REB (from this board) will have lots of advice, I'm sure!

[ydh]

thanks!! now that we are in the Holidays, it may take me a while to talk with her. y

[reb621]

My ears were burning!....

Y, I PMed you with a list of all of the steps we've gone through since June-ish, 2002, and what we still anticipate.

Sorry it's so long.



Rebecca (REB)