Adoption process

[Approved1988]

I need som advice: myself and my husband are currently going through the process to be matched with our child and we hit the matching panel in July. Apparently the birth parents are going to contest the adoption. What does this mean for us?? We are aiming to start introductions in August will that be delayed or is the contesting todo with after the 10 weeks when we apply for the order. Can someone please give me some advice. Thank you 😀

It shouldn't delay Intros. It is about the court process. It's easy for me to say, but try not to worry. Birth parents often say they will contest and then don't when it comes to it. Even if they do, at this stage in proceedings they won't be successful.

Thanks for that. Great help will calm it now. I suppose it's natural for the birth parents to contest the adoption.

As a birth parent it means nothing. It's just them giving it one final fight. The chances of succeeding are none existant.

The courts made the mistake the first time sending the child back to the birth parents so they shouldn't make the mistake again. There has been no change in their circumstances.

Then you have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't worry.

We're in a similar situation to you. It's nerve-wracking, but we're confident they're the right children for us (and we hopefully the right parents for them) so we just have to move forward in hope. Doesn't make it any easier though!

Thank you to everyone who has commented. It is a natural insist to be worried about it. I'm excited to have our little one and know deep down that it will work out well.

Does anyone know the cost for the adoption order?

It was expensive.... £175 I think... some times the LA pays it but not for us....!

As someone that's been here before, just ask if all avenues have been looked at i.e is all family members been looked into? Is birth parents getting another assessment again?
Sometimes it's just a process and 80% of the time parents will be turned down by courts. But with being there before three times and third time lucky, it's best to ask as many questions as you can?!
Hope this is of help and we just paid £124 for Adoption Order but could be different depending on areas I suppose.
Ask away anytime 😊

Approved1988 Your worries are, of course, entirely normal. If you have a search on this forum you will find many threads on this subject. To summarise:

1. Most BPs say they will contest the AO then don't.
2. Of the few who put something in writing, many then don't turn up to court or don't follow through.
3. Most are denied permission to appeal- something has to have gone wrong with the prior process for this to be granted.
4. Of the very few appeals which occur, none have been granted after placement.

Not something that should stop you matching or cause you any worry. A major problem would likely come up before matching panel and cause delays- in the unlikely event that happens you should consider your options.

The questions Hendi suggests are good ones. It does no harm to get on at your child's SW a bit and check details are sorted (after matching, when you no longer need to pussy foot around them).

Once placed the only thing that can really occur is delays and stress, not disaster.

Thank you for the information.

The only times that an order has been refused are because social services didn't do their job properly. So there are 2 cases I found. First one wrong dad was named as birth father and birth mother didn't name the right man until court and the second one birth father didn't tell his family until it went to court that he was a father.

Both parents are still in the picture and they are both on his birth certificate.

Does anyone know how important the matching meeting is between the social workers is? Our social worker has our matching meeting tomorrow and we are confused what it's about and what it entails.

Adoption is a very paperwork based process as social workers have to be able to show how they've reached their decisions and that they are acting in the child's best interest. As far as I'm aware meeting is about formalising everything that has been agreed so far, checking that everyone agrees with those decisions and thinking about the best way to present those decisions at panel.

Thank you.

We have spoken to our SW after the matching meeting today. He has informed us that the birth mother is contesting the adoption and will be getting a solicitor involved and that it could delay introductions, I was under the impression it would not delay intros only the adoption order. They are giving her until the 19th June to contest it. I'm confused can someone please help us. Our intro is due 6th August.

Sorry to hear that. That does sound odd though that it's SW who are delaying. Does the LO already have a Permenancy Order?

I'm more annoyed that the introductions get delayed if she gets a solicitor involved. Our SW said not to worry that she won't have a leg to stand on and normally solicitors will see if it's a case they can win before they take it on.

When was the placement order made do you know? She will have to show sustained, significant changes in order to get it revoked and from my understanding the timeframe judges look at is those changes have to have been sustained for more than a year. It's hard for both you and her. She had a legal right to do this and if she isn't given the appropriate opportunity to do so ultimately it could delay the legal process still further as she could try to appeal any decision not made in her favour.

If they have a placement order it should not delay introductions. Good luck x

@approved1988 this situation is happening more and more often. To some extent it is up to the individual LA. They have a placement order and as far as I'm aware can legally progress. However most are cautious as they don't want to pre-empt what the Judge will say. It can become drawn out, for example birth parents can seek leave to contest, have it rejected and then try at the appeals court. However the chance of the plan being changed at this point is extremely unlikely. I realise a delay to intros isn't what you want but it means that later in the process when you do put your adoption order application in, any contest at that point will not take long to sort out as it will be going over the same ground.

I just hope that if there is a delay that introductions is put back to long. We are still going to matching panel in our set date so surely isn't that unfair in the child when they start to tell them about there new family etc. If I had known this at the beginning stage maybe we would of prepared for it.

I'm really confused. We had a call off our SW today, apparently the birth parents are trying to prolong the last contact and as a result this will delay introductions. This whole process is taking longer than expected and people we know that have been on the same journey as us have there children before us. The BP are prolonging it and our SW has informed us that 3 different LO are in on it very bizarre. We have his room ready and are still heading for matching panel in July just disappointed about introductions