How long for adoption order?

[Tomorrowwillbeok]

How long from placement does it generally take to receive the adoption order? Is it typical for there to be significant delays?

From memory (ours was 10 years ago) you have to wait 10 weeks from placement before you can apply and after that it depends on the courts times. We had placement in August, adoption order granted February and celebration hearing April. Ours was very smooth, excellent social worker, lovely judge and nobody contested

our girl moved in back end of may 2023, we Were allowed to start paperwork sept 2023 after 2nd Lac review and adoption order granted middle of may 2024

Do you know at what stage birth parents were informed? Did they contest the order?

I think they are advised at every stage as they get the letters advising of
the court dates.

They requested leave to oppose but was denied this. It would have been wrapped up a little sooner, her case in general had dragged on and been messed about so the judge didn’t grant them much Leeway to mess about and drag it out, was quite firm that he wouldn’t accept much messing about by them.

however they were advised that they had until a set date to confirm they wanted leave to oppose and waited till the morning of the court date to hand the paperwork in, which added an extra month to the process

With my older daughter her birth parents kept claiming they didn’t get the letters informing them of what was happening and this caused delayed. My 2nd is different parents, but everyone was keen to not cause more delays so the legal team served any letters social services needed to send so they had proof of receipt x

10 weeks after LO is placed, you can apply. BPs will be informed at every step.

We put in for the adoption order in May ‘21 and it was approved in December ‘21.

BM was complicated to say the least. We had one date through for court where she was trying to get the whole adoption thrown out - this was cancelled. She put in an appeal to contest - this was granted and she was given a certain amount of days to prepare. Then the final hearing where everything was approved. BM never did prepare anything.

As adopters we didn’t really do anything. We’d get the letters and anxiously wait any news but our SWs were incredible and it all went ahead with no problems.

im a birth parent and I was informed by SW when the application was made and the court wrote to me at the same time. I didn’t contest but they can contest. I did however attend the hearing (which isn’t necessary unless you are contesting but that was my personal choice)