[Fekhten]

Just wanted to say that if anyone has questions about petitioning a CT court for release of original birth certificates, I'd be happy to share my experience on that....nothing is resolved for me yet, but I'd still be happy to share what I'm finding out.

-Fekhten

[gaylene]

I would like to here how you petion the courts for your records/ all information a prrciated

[Fekhten]

Gaylene,

What I did was to call the Probate Court in the town listed as my birthplace on my amended birth certificate. I found the probate court's phone number through a simple Google search that led me to a webpage hosted by the same town. I called the court and spoke with a clerk. I told her I'd like to receive a copy of my original birth certificate. She mailed me the petition form which I completed and mailed back. That was about six weeks ago. When I called last week to inquire about the status of my petition, she had some interesting questions for me.

As I mentioned, nothing is resolved for me yet, but it looks promising right now.

If you'd like any more info, please let me know. A private message through the forum is probably best.

-Fekhten

[gaylene]

thabk you for the information i relly appricate it. keep me informed how your goes thanks for listing gaylene ker email me eny time gailker@hotmail.com

[Nicole28]

I am beginning a search for my birthparents. Your information is so helpful! Good luck. I am going to try to get my O.B.C. as well. I appreciate the post!

[Nicole28]

How do I locate the probate court in the county where I was born? (to be honest, I am not even sure what 'probate' court is.) I could use any information you can offer!

[Fekhten]

Nicole, here's how I located the right court to speak with. I'll spell it out step by step for anyone else's future reference.

1. I first identified the city listed as my birthplace on my amended certificate.

2. Knowing that one has to petition a court to release adoption-related documents but not knowing where the court is located, I then went to www.google.com and typed City X, Connecticut in the search field.

3. That gave me a return of various pages, one of which was the official website for City X.

4. I went to City X website and poked around it until I found information about the courts that are there. There was contact information listed for only one court of any sort listed for the city where I was born. Presumably that's because I was born in a relatively small city.

5. I called the court and spoke with a clerk. I told her that I'd like to know what I should do to have a copy of my original birth certificate released to me. She was a bit stumped and I had to explain that I was adopted.

6. She said that I'd have to complete a standard petition form that she would mail to me.

7. I received the form in about a week's time (I'm in Minnesota), completed, attached photocopies of i.d. and mailed it back with a $150 filing fee.

8. All of this was nearly two months ago. I don't have my original birth certificate yet, but they also have not cashed my check. Every time I call to follow up (about once a week) the clerk has questions or says that the Judge has been away.

I'm not sure whether they'll release my original birth certificate to me. I also asked for any other documents related to my adoption. I'm told that it can be nearly impossible, in almost any state, to receive a copy of an original birth certificate.

So there're no guarantees that any of these steps will actually get you what you want and deserve to have. But this is how I started....I hope it'll be useful in helping you get started.

-Fekhten

[skinni]

I just wanted 2 say that I did petition for my O B C, from CT., and I got it. However ALL identifying info on it was blackened out, b4 they copied it. It makes it impossible to find out anything. I even took it to a photographer to see if he could bleed it out. It couldn't B done, because it was part of the copy. I have been searching for 30 years. I don't think I'll ever get the information I want, and I have disabled children that are genetically linked 2 me. Noone cares. My birthmom had an excellent lawyer. I was born in CT. and adopted in NY which makes it 300 times harder 2 get the info I want. Neither state will release the info without consent from the other. I have hit a wall. It has become an obsession 4 me. I don't care so much about finding my Bmom but I have apparently 8 siblings out there somewhere, That I would love 2 find. I would like to know if they think I'm dead or maybe I never existed.

[Salmon]

I am an adoptee twice over. As luck would have it I was old enought to remember that my biological father had visited my 1st adoptive family when my twin brother and I were placed into the second adoptive family, which was in late 1979. We remembered out brith father's last name as Buchholz. So we searched the area newspapers. We were lucky and found our birth father via his mother who lived in the same town as we did. My Birth mother at the time we did not know. But my father's mother knew our birth mother's mother and that grandmother was contacted. So over the years the piece's of the puzzle have come together slowly. Don't ever give up folks looking and putting the puzzle piece's back together.
I am curious....and thats why I am posting here...since I know my birth parents and have been in somewhat constant contact with them off and on throughout the years, there is no basis for the State of WA to withhold my original birth record of birth from me.

I went to the town hospital and asked for ALL my medical records... and they incidentally gave me a copy of my original birth certificate as well as other. SO if you happen to know your birth name but not your parents try to just ask for all your records from the area hopsitals or places childen would be seen by doctors. By luck I got my original record of birth and no one was the wiser for it. Of course I already knew my birth parents and my birth name.

What I am itnerested in is...has anyone once they became aware of their biologically birth given name and their birth parents ever went and had their active adoptive brith record changed to reflect again their brith parents?

You see, I am going to change my name back to my brith name of Douglas Lloyd Buchholz but I also demand that my birth parents also be who brought back onto the birth record, not what the amended birth record now indicates.

Since my adoptive parents are both now deceased there would be no objection and both my brith parents are in support of this that I would like to do regarding my birth cert. Right now, if I changed my name to Douglas Lloyd Buchholz the birth cert. that would be actively on file would list my name as afore mentioned but would list my adoptive parents which wouldn't my blood heritage. Even my last name of Buchholz would not match my adoptive father's last name of Leckie. Anyone ever changed their brith parents on their birth certificate out there that can shed some light on this? Greatly appreciate your help and input. Mark

[sliszm]

Is adult adoption an option for you? Not sure how it works, but I have heard of it. Just a thought!

Mike

[tricia3]

I too petitioned, only in NC and although I did not have my records released to me, I was assigned an intermediary that managed to find my bmom. Now I find that I have filed another petition to have my original b.c. to be released along with my fostercare records. I remain hopeful that I will be successful, but know it is going to difficult.
I wish more adoptees would file a petition. It's one way to let the courts know that we want our records and will do whatever it takes to have them.

[lilysydney]

I would love to know how to start with that.

[tricia3]

Lilysydney,
I'm not sure what the laws are in your state but that is where you need to start. Look up the adoption statutes for the release of identifying info. Find out what constitutes good reason in you state. Next you need to know what county and court in which your adoption is finalized. This is the court in which you will petition. You will probably need to get a "Fianl Order of Adoption" from this court also. In my state (NC) I did not need a lawyer to petition but this but your state may be different. I had a good idea of what a petition should look like (format) and proceeded to make my argument/ request.
If you want more info let me know. I'm not a lawyer, but am willing to guide you through this process. Tricia

[Missy M]

" just wanted 2 say that I did petition for my O B C, from CT., and I got it. However ALL identifying info on it was blackened out, b4 they copied it. It makes it impossible to find out anything. I even took it to a photographer to see if he could bleed it out. It couldn't B done, because it was part of the copy."

Hi...I am a b-mom but I wanted to respond that in our state (Texas) it is possible to get an unaltered copy of your B/C. What you recieved is what is referred to here as "non-identifying ID". If you payed to recieve what you have you should perhaps ask why because that item is usually issued free from the agency or attorney used without a court order....MissyM