How long after initial court hearing

[Italiangreyhound]

Hi guys, can you tell me your experiences of how long after initial court hearing everything was finalised and you got the final OK for adoption to be totally finalised (completely!).

Thanks

Assuming that the adoption order is granted at the hearing, then you are the legal parent(s) of the child(ren) from that date. Everything else is procedure and paperwork.

It will take a couple of weeks to get the adoption order through from the court, then six weeks to get the short birth certificate through (which is useless). Then once you have ordered the full birth certificate from the GRO, it will take another two weeks to arrive (if you are feeling cheap) or a couple of days (of you want to throw more money at them). So, about 10 weeks after the hearing you can expect to have all relevant legal documentation.

Regarding other bits and pieces, your celebration hearing should be a few weeks after the initial hearing. I would imagine you will then need one final meeting with your child's social worker and possibly your social worker, just to get signed off. Don't forget that if you haven't got it yet, you should get a later life letter and the life story book. If you are lucky, this will be ready for your final meeting.

HOWEVER, this is based on my experience only. I'm 99% sure about the documentation timings but how your social services / agency handle signing you off could be very different. Have you asked what the final stages are for you?

you can apply after 10 weeks of placement (unless you previously fostered child) ... the court gives the SW's a deadline to file their reports... then another hearing will be scheduled... then a final hearing will be set.

You do not attend any of the hearings - as the birth parents will be invited.

Assuming all goes well, on the final hearing, you will legally become Mum & Dad... and then agree with everything odyssey says...

I found the final hearing date really hard work.... it took ages to get confirmation (like an hour or so!) that the order had been granted... longest hour of my life.

Loved the celebration hearing and recommend this completely.. sort of gave us some 'closure'.... never seen a SW since!!

We got our application fee refunded btw (from our LA)

Have you applied yet Italian?

Yes, excited we have applied and been told our fee will be refunded.

Excited about it all.

Just nervous.

Thansk odyssey2001 so looks like a couple of months from the actual hearing before all final. We are hoping for a party in the future and just not sure when to plan for!!

from our application to final hearing took 5 months... that was over Christmas tho... celebration hearing was 3 weeks after AO granted.... happy days...

We had a fab party afterwards... enjoy the planning!!