[alyce garfman]

How do you go about petitioning the courts. Is this something that needs to be done in person or can you do it by mail? I'm asking because I was born in Columbia SC but, I live in CT. I welcome any help I can get. I'm having a hard time with this.

Thanks,





COLOR=darkblue]

[robby wallace]

i am just starting my search. i have read the messages from all you guys. i just dont know where to begin. i have the law firm but cant locate them on the web its been almost 40 yrs so they might be out of business. any one heard of davis,davis and bernstein? also if you are a birthparent looking for your son born in st frances charleston sc 1965 at 12:04 pm white male adopted parents were in the military..they moved me to ok right away.bio..mom and dad were in shoe sales..mom was 25 dad around 30. any onfo you guys have with my search is appreciated.

[Mpierce621]

I was also adopted in charleston sc. the att is deceased and his wife refuses to help me in any way. i wrote to dss and they told me that since my adoption was private that they had no way to help me. it states in my decree of adoption that DSS was not to be involved no matter what. i wrote to a judge asking for help and they told me that there was nothing that they could do. i talked to an att and he told me that there was little chance for me to get any information inless it was life or death. all i am asking for is a medical history. how hard could that be to get. i guess sc is wanting to make it so hard on me that i will give up. well i can't give up my kids need a medical history from me. the 2 oldest have learning disibalitys and the 3 year old has sever infantile scoliosis. I NEED HELP!!!! can't afford to hire anyone to help me. can't afford to go to charleston ( live in wilkes nc now) I'm stuck!!!!

[mystic firefly]

Okay,I am in South carolian and here is what I can tell you I have learned so far.

DSS will not help you at all with private adoption stuff. The Judges can't because the files are sealed and so you must go before the court and ask the files to be opend, but know that it has never happened in SC history, except once in the 70's and they opened them looked at em, (the judges) and then refused to let the adoptee see them and sealed them back.
Lawyers can sometimes be helpful, but after about 25 years they destroy their files. Had that happen to me, Doctors can also be helpful, but only if their alive, they sometimes still have the records.
You can also try going to the hospital in which you were born and asking for your medical records just be sure not to say I was adopted, sometimes they forget to blot things out on your file and some people have found info that way. If any one wants my help looking up stuff let me know. kphfirefly@aol.com

[tricia3]

I don't see how going to the hospital can result in any information, unless you know your bmom's name. And even then, with the new HIPPA laws, they can't legally release medical info w/out the person's consent. And more than likely the files are in bmom's name and if you know that, then what's the point in going to the hospital? Also, after so many years, most hospitals put records in archives (usually a mini storage building) and getting to them takes an act of Congress.
I don't know of anyone that has gotten results this way, I even tried myself to no avail.
So far as filing a petition....just because it's not been done very often should NOT be a deterent. I believe if more adoptees would file a petition, the courts would have to change their stance on releasing records. Afterall, who gives these judges their jobs? WE DO!!!!
When I filed in 2001 (in NC) only 1 other person had done so in my county, but that didn't stop me. Now from what I'm told, a flood of petitions are pouring in, and the State (NC) is not fighting them.

If you'd like a sample petition (for NC, but can be altered for SC), pm me an e-mail addie and I'll get it to you.

[Mpierce621]

please help me to understand why it is so hard to get any information in S.C? Please!!! i have done everything that i can to find out information on my adoption but no one is willing to tel me anything. how can i get my non-id information? can anyone tell me that? where do i look for that at who do i talk to about that? Please someone help me. at least to find out my non-id information. is that too much to ask for? thanks

[mystic firefly]

Why because sc sucks!!!!! If you were adopted through the sate then you must contact the dss people, but they are closed today. If you were a private adoption you must find the lawyers who handled it and they will have ( maybe if they haven't destroyed it like they did mine) all the non Id info. If I can help ya let me know. I been at this awhile now