open adoption vs. adoption

[henri77]

I adopted a new borne. THe birth parents signed over rights at 48 hrs. after birth. Never agreed to an open adoption. Can't find no reference in papers. Agree verbally to a third party to exchange letters...Now 6 years later, birth mom wants an open adoption and keeps bringing up our name for our child as if we made them name the child that name. We knew we could change it at the court by the lawyer and judge. I arranged to send pictures and notes thru a third party and now feel very put apon and scared. We moved clear across the US so we would not be close and found out they have moved to a state within 100 miles of us.

 

[dorenephilpot]

If there is no written Post Adoption Agreement and only a verbal agreement for future contact, you have absolutely NO duty to let the child and biological parents have contact.

You can CHOOSE to allow the contact, but you have no obligation under those circumstances, oral agreement or not.

What is it they say? An oral agreement is worth the paper it's printed on.

After the adoption, YOU are now the parents of the child. These people have no more rights to contact with the child than I would.

Once the child reaches age 18, then the bio parents can try again, but while the child is a minor, you have total control here.

Hope this helps!

 

[mazie]

So, what is an open adoption exactly?

TIA!

 

[dorenephilpot]

Open means everyone knows who everyone else is.

Generally that also means it's a situation where there is some post-adoption contact, which comes via the post-adoption contact agreement.

Just because it's an open adoption does not mean, however, that there is post-adoption contact with the child, in the absence of the post-adoption agreement.

 

[mazie]

Thank you, dorenephilpot! Appreciate ya!