[s_lc]

Hi, I'm new to this site. I was born and adopted in 1986 and I want to get my birth certificate and adoption papers.
I already postedthis but then I saw this area and realised it was in the wrong place sorry!

My parents have never kept from me that I was adopted, and I've always loved them, them will always come first over my birth mother whoever she is, but I just want to know more about myself.
It upsets them when I talk about it so I can't ask them, but I'm not sure how to GET my birth certificate and 'adoption papers' I am over 18 but I have no clue how to get hold of them. Can someone tell me where I need to start please? Would I need to phone someone or just go straight to somewhere...I really have no idea, I've tred searching the internet for instructions but I'm not very good at that.


I think my parents are just trying to protect me from getting upset/shocked and have always changed the subject when I tried asking about getting this information, but I'm old enough now and I want to know.
When I was little all my mum told me was that my birth mother had wanted me but was 'too sick to keep me' so they adopted me. Recently I was asking again (I don't a lot, the subject only comes up about once a year, though I wonder quite often) she wouldn't tell me but I went through a list of what may have been wrong with my birth mother and guessed the right thing, was she mentally ill? 'yes' but she won't tell me more. I worry it might be something heriditary that doesn't kick in till later? Or maybe it's not hereditary at all, I really want to know. Anyway, before I knew this I thought she may have been sick with cancer and died but now I immagine she must still be alive in a hospital for mentally ill people somewhere. I want to know if there is anyway of finding this out? Would I have a right to information on my birth mother and things about her illness?
I think that sounds really selfish worrying about it just because it might be hereditary and affect me, but I dowant to know more about her and see if there's something I might be able to do for her, I worry that if I put this off forever (I've already been old enough to find out things for over a year, and haven't) that I will regret it

Thankyou for reading

[Montraviatommyg]

You can apply for your original birth certificate directly to the following address as you was born after Nov 1975:-

The General Register Office,
Smedley,
Hydro,
Trafalger Road,
Southport,
Merseyside,
PR8 2HH

To apply for copies of your adoption papers you need to apply to the social workers or the adoption agency that was used. If an adoption agency was used and no longer exists then approach the social workers Family Placement Team. Alternatively approach Norcap, www.norcap.org.uk. If you live in the NorthEast of England After Adoption can help .... go to www.afteradoption.org.uk for their free phone number and address, if the address isn't on the website let me know as I've got it. If you was born in Essex I can give you an address and email address for another place you could ask for help. If you need any other suggestions I can see what I can do for you.

Pip