Checklist of Steps to complete through the Law Office of Kathleen McCann for Foreign Re-Adoption

Fill out the Adoption questionnaire and the attorney and paralegal will prepare drafts of the re-adoption documents for your review. After your review and revisions, where needed, —Client and attorney to sign.  Then we can file the case with the Clerk’s Office:

1. We will file the Petition for Adoption with exhibits.
2. Attorney will prep the citation for the docket for the finalization hearing. Client to select a convenient date, legal assistant will confirm availability of dates.
3. Client to provide one copy of the Initial Home study/post placement report to the law office

Client to provide one copy of Foreign adoption documents (provide the law office both in the foreign language and the English translation). Usually consists of the Adoption Registration Certificate, the Notarial Certificate of Birth, Certificate of Abandonment, and the Notarial Certificate.

Legal Assistant will assemble and file these exhibits to the Petition for Re-adoption including the foreign adoption documents and home studies with case cover sheet in the case

The Law office staff will prepare drafts of the following for client’s review:

• Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
• Decree of Adoption

With the information provided by client in the completed adoption questionnaire, The Law Office will also prepare the Adoption Data Card and Application for Adoption Registration. These forms are necessary to get a Washington Birth Certificate. There is a fee ($35) to get a certified copy of the Birth Certificate from the Department of Health.

On the day and time set for the re-adoption finalization hearing, client(s) and family members that are coming to the hearing will meet the attorney at the Family Law Annex. Most adoption hearings are at 2:00 p.m. or after. The court takes the cases one at a time until all are completed.

Once the hearing is over and the Judge has signed the originals of the decree of adoption and findings of fact/conclusions of law your re-adoption is completed.

You will need at least one, and preferably two certified copies of the Decree of Adoption. Your attorney will get these for you after the finalization hearing and will order the new birth certificate at the same time.

The new birth certificate will usually take at least 60 days and will be mailed to your home.  The following Monday after the finalization hearing you can come by and pick up your certified decree.

For an explanation to why you need a Re-Adoption read this article.