Court hearings/ contested.

[ann0102]

I know court proceedings can be delayed if the birth parents contest it, but how often do the birth parents contest and win?
The fact our LO still isn't ours legally is starting to really really stress me out.

[AnyoneFucoffee]

Very, very rarely.

Our DC's birth mother applied for leave to contest. (Which is what they have yo do.... They can't just contest)

It delayed things for four months while evidence was gathered/further court hearings took place. It was stressful but we were fairly sure she'd do it so it wasn't unexpected.

All was well in the end.

I've never heard of a birth parent successfully contesting (or even being given leave to contest)

Easier said than done but try not to worry too much.

[NigelLikesSalad]

Birth parents can and sometimes do contest, it will delay things but if it has got to the point where the decision is taken for a child to be placed for adoption then the case has to be pretty water tight and so very unlikely that birth parents circumstances will have changed so significantly a child should be returned.

Every single case is so very different and all I can say is just be very kind to yourself over the coming months, it is incredibly stressful but you will get there. The whole process seems to be one stressful thing after another. Stay away from Google too. I nearly drove myself insane looking for information/statistics of children being returned. Usually ended up on Daily Wail links which we all know are highly accurate but used to add to the stress tenfold. Keep busy, plan lots of lovely things for Christmas and look forward to everything being tied up in the New Year. You'll have LO new birth certificates before you know it.

[marmalade999]

We are going through a contested adoption. BM handed paperwork in 2 weeks in after deadline such a joke. It will just delay everything for months as there is no change in circumstances but the courts have to be seen to listening to her!!!!!!!
Apparantly only 3 children in the country have ever been returned to birth family in the last few years.
Know this is an old thread buy thought it might be worth adding too.