Adoption search UK

Adopted Person

Brief by www.adoptionsearchuk.co.uk

This brief outline is designed for persons looking to trace a birth parent without access to their original birth certificate. If you have access to this certificate and you want to trace your birth parent the information contained within the birth certificate will almost certainly be enough to complete a trace of your birth parent.

How do I find my original birth details?

If you were adopted through a court in England or Wales and are aged 18 years or over you can apply for a certificate of your original birth entry and try to seek out more information about your origins.

Adoptions

Access to Birth Records for adopted persons

Adopted before 1975

If you were adopted before 12 November 1975 and live in England or Wales
If you were adopted before 12 November 1975 and live overseas
1. If you were adopted before 12 November 1975 and live in England or Wales

You are required to attend an informal meeting with an approved adoption advisor for confidential guidance, either with your local Social Services, at the General Register Office or, under certain circumstances, at the agency that handled your adoption.

You can also choose to see an adoption worker at another local authority. The General Register Office will forward your original birth information to your chosen approved adoption advisor.
See the following links for more information on: how the meeting is arranged, and what information is provided at the meeting.

Why do I have to see an adoption advisor?Before 12 November 1975, many parents were led to believe that the adopted child would never be able to find out their original name or the names of their parents. These arrangements were made in good faith. However, changes in legislation allowed adopted people to discover their original details. It is important that adopted people understand what this might mean, not only for themselves but also for others.

2. If you were adopted before 12 November 1975 and live overseas
You are required to attend an informal meeting with an approved adoption advisor. It is possible for this to take place in the country where you are currently residing, as long as a suitable body or organisation is available.

If you were born in England or Wales but adopted in Scotland, Ireland or overseas you will need to contact the General Register Office for that country in order to access your birth records.


Adoptions

Access to Birth Records for adopted persons
Adopted after 1975

If you were adopted between 12 November 1975 and 30 December 2005, are 18 years old or over and live in England or Wales

If you were adopted between 12 November 1975 and 30 December 2005, are 18 years old or over and live overseas

1. If you were adopted between 12 November 1975 and 30 December 2005, are 18 years old or over and live in England or Wales

You have a choice whether you would like to see an approved adoption advisor or have the information sent to you direct. You may find it helpful to see an adoption advisor, as they may be able to offer practical advice and guidance as well as discussing any concerns or issues important to you.

What happens if I choose not to see an adoption advisor?The material sent to you is the same information as that given to adoption advisors for people adopted prior to 12 November 1975.
You will be sent information about your birth name, birth parent(s) name(s) and your district of birth with which to apply for a certified copy of your original birth entry.
If an adoption agency or local authority was involved in your adoption you will receive this information. If not, then you will receive details necessary to make an application to the court for the name of the adoption agency or local authority.

The pack will also include a covering letter detailing how and where to apply.

2. If you were adopted between 12 November 1975 and 30 December 2005, are 18 years old or over and live overseas

While you are not legally required to attend a meeting with an approved adoption advisor, you can opt to do this if you would like to. As long as a suitable body or organisation is available, the interview can take place in the country where you are currently residing.


Adopted Children Register

Introduction

The Adopted Children Register is a record of all adoptions granted by courts in England and Wales since 1927.

When a court issues an adoption order a new birth entry is made in the Adopted Children Register. This replaces the original birth entry. The order also instructs the General Register Office to ensure the original birth entry is marked ‘adopted’.

The entire process, which includes instructing the registrar who holds the original birth entry, may take up to six weeks. Once this process is completed adoptive parent(s) will receive a free short adoption certificate.

The Adopted Children Register is not open to public inspection or search.
Adopted Children Register The General Register Office maintains a record of adoptions made on the authority of courts in England and Wales in the Adopted Children Register. It is from this Register that adoption certificates are issued.

Overseas adoptions may, in some instances, be registered in the Adopted Children Register.
Certificates from the Adopted Children Register can be applied for online, by telephoning the General Register Office direct on 0845 603 7788. Once you have been supplied with that document tracing agents can commence the birth parent trace.

Access to Birth / Adoption Records At 18, an adopted person can apply for a certificate of their original birth registration, via the Access to Birth Records service at the General Register Office.
From 30 December 2005 changes to the law will enable birth relatives to also apply for access to an adopted person’s adoption registration. However Access to Adoption Records for birth relatives must be done via Intermediary Agencies.

Adoption Contact Register Adopted person(s) or birth relatives wishing to make contact with each other can register on the Adoption Contact Register.

Adoptions

Access to Adoption Records for birth relatives

Introduction

From 30 December 2005 a birth relative wishing to make contact with an adopted person can apply to an approved Intermediary Agency.

The Intermediary Agency will help facilitate contact between birth relatives and adopted people.
The Intermediary Agency can apply to the General Register Office for the name of the organisation involved in the adoption or if that is not available the name of the court granting the adoption.

In addition the Intermediary Agency can apply to the General Register Office for information from the Adoption Contact Register and post-adoptive information which will enable an application to be made for an adoption certificate.
All this information can be used by the Intermediary Agency to decide whether to proceed but this will be subject to the views of the adopted person.