What is the name of your state? Texas
I found out this summer that I was adopted. Since then, I have found my birthmother and siblings, and just received my unsealed adoption records. I knew the adoption was conducted under shady circumstances, and the records confirmed this. The main things that I am questioning the legality of are:
1. I was given to my adoptive parents by a priest they knew. They paid for the birthmother's medical expenses. There was no home study done or anyone checking on me for the two years preceding my formal adoption. Is that legal? Can someone just hand over someone else's child to two people without any checks in place?
2. The home study, which was conducted almost two years after my birth, lists 3 character references. Only one claimed to know my adoptive parents and me. Two only knew my adoptive father, one of which said he'd never even seen me. Is it legal to use character witnesses in an adoption when the witnesses don't even know both parents or the child in question?
3. This is the most screwy one. The consent my birthmother gave to relinquish me. Her signature is dated 11 months after I was born, and was notarized 2 months after my birthmother signed! How is that possible, much less legal? Shouldn't that have sent up a red flag to the judge presiding over the case, that the birthmother's signature had not been obtained in a legally notarized manner?
I am so mad. I was thrown to the wolves as an innocent baby and no one even bothered to check on me. My adoptive parents didn't even pursue the formal adoption until 2 years later, presumably because if the court had denied their petition (adoptive mother was a severe drug addict/alcoholic and adoptive father was a convicted felon) they could have argued that it would effect my psychologically to be separated from them after that amount of time. What can I do about this?
I found out this summer that I was adopted. Since then, I have found my birthmother and siblings, and just received my unsealed adoption records. I knew the adoption was conducted under shady circumstances, and the records confirmed this. The main things that I am questioning the legality of are:
1. I was given to my adoptive parents by a priest they knew. They paid for the birthmother's medical expenses. There was no home study done or anyone checking on me for the two years preceding my formal adoption. Is that legal? Can someone just hand over someone else's child to two people without any checks in place?
2. The home study, which was conducted almost two years after my birth, lists 3 character references. Only one claimed to know my adoptive parents and me. Two only knew my adoptive father, one of which said he'd never even seen me. Is it legal to use character witnesses in an adoption when the witnesses don't even know both parents or the child in question?
3. This is the most screwy one. The consent my birthmother gave to relinquish me. Her signature is dated 11 months after I was born, and was notarized 2 months after my birthmother signed! How is that possible, much less legal? Shouldn't that have sent up a red flag to the judge presiding over the case, that the birthmother's signature had not been obtained in a legally notarized manner?
I am so mad. I was thrown to the wolves as an innocent baby and no one even bothered to check on me. My adoptive parents didn't even pursue the formal adoption until 2 years later, presumably because if the court had denied their petition (adoptive mother was a severe drug addict/alcoholic and adoptive father was a convicted felon) they could have argued that it would effect my psychologically to be separated from them after that amount of time. What can I do about this?
