malpractice of an attorney & teacher

California - My 18 yr old niece was pressured into a less than 24 hr adoption of her 7 mo old baby by former teacher. This was the teacher of my niece while a student at a county run high school program for minor pregnant girls. When my niece realized she was not emotionally/financially able to care for this child she went to the school building to discuss adoption with this teacher. Less than 24hrs later a meeting was held at this teachers house with an adoption facilatator who called a couple that was waiting at a local motel to adopt the baby! She was directed to get the baby from day care & bring her to the home of the teacher. The facilatator called an attorney who came to the house and before he is in the house the couple with the baby & the facilatator are instructed by the teacher "you better leave now". My niece had never met or spoke with this attorney before this visit. My niece,with the teacher as a witness on some forms signed & went to a notary with the attorney. she was not given copies of retainer etc. 3 days later my niece returned to the school to "undo" this terrible mistake to be told by the teacher that "this was an out of state adoption andit was too late". An attorney was hired and we now know that all paperwork she signed was arizona adoption papers. Her & my family have an attorney handeling our attempts to get the child back. My niece and my family feel that we have a malpractice suit against the attorney who has "advised" our current attorney that he was representing my niece in this "adoption". We also feel we have a suit against the county for the actions of this teacher.

HELP!!


correct e-mail is sharronjohnson@yahoo.com







[Edited by Sharron Johnson on 03-26-2001 at 09:53 PM]

Very strange and confusing. You don't have a malpractice suit per se -- this lawyer wasn't your attorney. You have a fraud suit/possible other types of criminal fraud. The school may or may not be responsible -- this will depend on how the court deems the relationship between the teacher and school at the time the offer was made, the child taken, etc.

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