Application to adopt made at High Holborn -

[oinker]

We have recently put in our application to adopt.
We have been told it can take up to 20 weeks...........
Is this the norm for Holborn? Has anyone got experience of waiting time at Holborn?
We don't expect the application to be
contested.

I don't know about Holborn but I waited a few months for a court date and I know people who waited well over 20 weeks for court dates. It's so variable depending on the individual court but I think 20 weeks is not uncommon

I seem to remember my social worker saying we could choose the court we wanted. Originally we were supposed to go to somewhere way out of London, but chose instead to go to the one nearest to us.

If the wait is difficult for you, it might be worth investigating alternative venues?

Unfortunately I rang 5 courts and it seemed that they all offer 20 weeks. It's as though they have all been promoted to state 20 weeks!
I was hoping someone on MN would come back to me and say.... We were told 20 weeks but it was all actually concluded with earlier.
I'm supposed to go back to work in March
I won't be able to if babba isn't adopted!

I have no experience of Holborn but why won't you be able to go back to work, Oinker?

I went back to work after six months. dd's adoption went through after 12 months.

U know what ... I don't know why?
We have adopted before- babbas sibling.
When we adopted him I took a year off. Babba came along, we did concurrent planning and now adopting.
You're right.... Why do they want me to stay home until I adopt? I can't think why?
I'm going to clear this up with them!
I've been off work for over 2 years!!!
Thanks for pointing out the obvious to me. I think sometimes they expect too much from us!! At this rate I'll have no job to go back to!

Let us know what they say!

If you've been through matching panel, I can't see why they can insist upon you staying off work til final adoption order- it takes so long to get a court date that many people have had their child a year or more by the time they are done and dusted. One of my friend had her daughter home for 16 months by the time they had been to court!

The reason it takes so long is so your sw and the child sw can write their reports.

Birth parents also need to be notified and if there whereabouts are unknown they have to be located.