False Adoption Papers

[CRO]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA
40 years ago I was adopted with my sister (according to birth certificates and papers from the adoption agency) in CA. Just recently (through DNA testing) we discovered that we are not even remotely blood related. My sister is devastated and feels betrayed and cheated. Is there any legal action she can take against the agency? Is there a way to find out the truth?

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA
40 years ago I was adopted with my sister (according to birth certificates and papers from the adoption agency) in CA. Just recently (through DNA testing) we discovered that we are not even remotely blood related. My sister is devastated and feels betrayed and cheated. Is there any legal action she can take against the agency? Is there a way to find out the truth?

What did the agency do wrong? Or was it your biological mother that lied?

 

[CRO]

The agency gave us two letters (written by an adoption worker) stating we were "full brother and sister." We were not to be separated. They described "our mother" and gave us some info on the "father." We are not sure how a mother could have pulled this of, so we are suspecting that the agency had something to do with this. Any advice? Suggestions?

 

[nextwife]

Perhaps one or both of you had been adopted, or a step adoption, and were legal siblings, but noit biosiblings? And then adopted again. It's been known to happen.

 

[Proserpina]

The agency gave us two letters (written by an adoption worker) stating we were "full brother and sister." We were not to be separated. They described "our mother" and gave us some info on the "father." We are not sure how a mother could have pulled this of, so we are suspecting that the agency had something to do with this. Any advice? Suggestions?

Why would they do this?

 

[CRO]

We were 3 and 2 years old when we were adopted. The letters specifically state we were blood related!! That's what bothers me. I don't believe my mother could put a child that was not hers up for adoption. Maybe the agency wanted to secure placement for one more child (I had serious health issues)? I really don't know what to think. We have been lied to by someone. And since all the info came from the agency I am more prone to believe that they had something to do with all this. Do I have grounds for the court to ask the agency to open my files?

 

[Proserpina]

We were 3 and 2 years old when we were adopted. The letters specifically state we were blood related!! That's what bothers me. I don't believe my mother could put a child that was not hers up for adoption. Maybe the agency wanted to secure placement for one more child (I had serious health issues)? I really don't know what to think. We have been lied to by someone. And since all the info came from the agency I am more prone to believe that they had something to do with all this. Do I have grounds for the court to ask the agency to open my files?

It's also possible that your mother did not know that yours and your sister's father were not the same man. It's not as if they could do DNA testing at that time.

What's Mom's story?

And what are you trying to accomplish?

 

[CRO]

The point is we DO NOT have the same mother OR the same father. We are totally unrelated!! So all the info we have on "our mother" and "our father" either apply to me OR to my "sister" or it was all made up. I believed a lie for 40 some years. It would be nice to get some truth out of this big mess.

 

[nextwife]

If you and sibling are the legal children of your legal parents, then you ARE related! You ARE siblings.

My daughter is not "blood" related to my brother's kids, yet they are first cousins and consider themselves first cousins. My mom was not "blood related" to my daughter, but my daughter was her granddaughter. You and sis are indeed sisters.

And again, you are not getting what I said. Biomom may have been pregnant by someone else, or brough the elder child to the relationship when she hooked up with father one, and perhaps legally step adopted sis, then something happened, maybe husband died or disappeared, and biomom relinquished rights to both. She could have been legal mom to you both without having been biomom to both. Perfectly legal and legit.

 

[CRO]

I see what you are saying. I don't have an issue with calling someone who is not blood related to me brother or sister, etc. I have several brothers and sisters and no blood relations there. This whole thing that maybe we were adopted prior to the second adoption is very unlikely to me. We were really young when we were given up (1 and 2). And we have two very lengthy descriptions about our mother, what she was like, why she decided to give us up for adoption, etc. I really think she would have mentioned a prior adoption in those letters. The papers specifically call us "blood" and "fully" siblings. Our adopted parents were told that we were related. I truly believe the agency lied to us and to my parents! Why? I really don't know! Did they do something illegal? That's what I ask myself. Did they falsify those letters? I would like to get a look into our original files. My question is: Do I have grounds for the court to grant me that permission.

 

[Proserpina]

I see what you are saying. I don't have an issue with calling someone who is not blood related to me brother or sister, etc. I have several brothers and sisters and no blood relations there. This whole thing that maybe we were adopted prior to the second adoption is very unlikely to me. We were really young when we were given up (1 and 2). And we have two very lengthy descriptions about our mother, what she was like, why she decided to give us up for adoption, etc. I really think she would have mentioned a prior adoption in those letters. The papers specifically call us "blood" and "fully" siblings. Our adopted parents were told that we were related. I truly believe the agency lied to us and to my parents! Why? I really don't know! Did they do something illegal? That's what I ask myself. Did they falsify those letters? I would like to get a look into our original files. My question is: Do I have grounds for the court to grant me that permission.

Those records may not actually exist today. If they do exist it may be impossible to have them unsealed at all and even if that happened, again the agency would not have been able to positively establish that you were or were not actually biological siblings. It would be virtually impossible for you to prove that they did anything wrong.

Seriously - this may become a very costly endeavor for you with very little chance of the results you're looking for and I very much doubt those records would allow you the comfort, confirmation or closure you seek.

By all means consult with an attorney who is familiar with adoption.

Were you 3 and 2, or 2 and 1, btw? You've said both in different posts.

 

[CRO]

Thanks for your input. I don't know if I will ever find out the truth. My sister is looking into filing some requests with the court. We will give it a try and see what happens. As to our ages, the adoption was final when we were 3 and 2, but we spent some time in foster care, orphanage, etc before that. So we were quite young when we were given up for adoption. Again, thank you all for your input!

 

[divona2000]

Where/how was the DNA test done?
Which test was done, do your specific ethnic groups match?
Any chance of a mistake?