California is one of the most restrictive states in the country for adult adopted people who seek to obtain a copy of their own birth record, whether the adopted person is 18 or 98 years old. In this workshop, we’ll explore what it looks like to try to get your own birth record through the California courts, if you can even get it at all.
Rescheduled Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Time: 6pm Pacific/8pm Central/9pm Eastern
The workshop, along with audience participation and discussion, will cover which courts have jurisdiction to hear these cases, how to find forms and to determine filing fees, and what is the best way to request a court order to release an original birth record. We’ll cover current California law (as well as advocacy efforts to change that law) and discuss questions about court petitions in the state, including:
- What specific law applies to these cases?
- What does the standard of “good and compelling cause” require, and when does it apply?
- What about other records, like court or adoption agency records?
- What evidence could help? Or hurt?
- What does “great weight” mean, especially when courts appear to ignore this important clause completely?
And while the workshop concentrates on the California court process, the lessons from our discussion could be useful in other states and contexts.
Important: This is a workshop to discuss California law and its requirements for seeking a birth record. It is not legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship between the presenters, participants, or any members of the audience. While it is intended to be interactive, all decisions to draft a petition or file it in court are left solely to the discretion of the individual filing it.
Registration
This event has concluded.