Hello everyone.
Looking for some advice please.
My wife an I adopted a little girl aged 5 whilst living and working in Liberia West Africa.
The process was quite exhaustive (as it should be) due to some in country issues with the adoption process being abused in previous years.
Unfortunately shortly after the adoption was completed Covid struck and our business had to close followed shortly by all schools. Having a 14 year old son we decided to return to the UK.
In December the Foreign Office issued an entry clearance Visa for our little girl with the coda 'Leave to enter outside of the rules' and she came to the UK with my wife. She is now safely with us and goes to a local school.
Liberia is not a Hague Convention country recognised for adoption. So it is classed as a de-facto adoption or local adoption.
We need to get her recognised as our child in the UK. Have her overseas adoption ratified here in the UK.
Has anyone any information on this process that will help us? Yes we can get a lawyer involved - but most seem to be in London who deal with matters like this and we are on Merseyside. Plus I would feel more comfortable understanding the process and what it entails before going that route.
Thank you for any help and advice.
Stalong57