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My husband and I are in the process of obtaining informaiton on adopting my cousin's little girl from the Philippines. We live in the United States, I am half Filipino. We received my cousin's letter yesterday with this request, my husband and I did not make a decision yet on this, but we wanted to obtain information if we do decided to do this. So I was wondering if anybody knows of a reliable attorney in the Philippians that could help us to obtain information. We were told that we would need to hire an attorney at the Philippines work with us. Thank you
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Welcome to the boards!
My husband and I too were wanting to adopt a child from the Philippines and we hired an attorney there in PI and an attorney here in the states and unfortunately, neither one of them knew what they were doing.....
From what I understand, you should NOT have to hire an attorney, BUT, you would have to go through the Inter-Country Adoption Board, known as the ICAB...they are the governing agency within the Philippine government that handles all inter-country adoptions (which yours would be--one country, from the Philippines, to another, the U.S.)
I would highly, highly suggest you contact them FIRST before making your decision....it is a long drawn out process, BUT, one that can be accomplished!!! You're blessed in that you're related to this child....the ICAB does allow this kind of adoption, so you're lucky....
BUT, you do need to go through them and not an attorney.....
I would suggest you read a thread that's a few stories down titled New and need advice....they give alot of good websites on that one....
The ICAB's website is [url]www.skyinet.net/~icaba/[/url] and it is extremely helpful....it lists the ICAB's email address at the bottom. I would email them and ask them the specifics....they are the governing board and will be the ones to help you with this....
Best of blessings to you,
Melody
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you need a lawyer.Inter-Country Adoption Board only covers adoption over [font=Times New Roman]"The children placed for inter-country adoption are those who are either involuntary committed by virtue of a Regional Trial Court's/Family Court's Declaration of Abandonment (DA) or those who are voluntarily committed or relinquished by their biological parent/s and legal guardian by virtue of a Deed of Voluntary Commitment (DVC) made out to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Philippine Competent Authority on adoption."Your "cousin's little girl" is not by any definition an abandoned child.JDEspaldon[/font]
Maria, I sent you a PM.
I would suggest that Maria doesnt need a Lawyer at this point to address their questions, but rather pre-adoption services so that they can understand the process and commitment needed to make the adoption happen.
While for most Intercountry adoptions, ICAB is the place to start, but I would not agree that this is the place for Maria's case or for any relative adoption where the child must be qualified as an orphan. I would rather recommend that they begin with the agency that has Jurisdiction in the placement of the child and that is the DSWD office where the child resides and through the guidance of a Lawyer should they pursue the adoption.
What Jonnel presented is not the specific way a Lawyer would address Marie's situation. The rules are vague specifically so Lawyers can work rules and to apply arguments appropriately. The process would be for a Lawyer to submit the appropriate documents to the RTC that satisfy the child's qualifications for ICAB's program applicable to the situation. IҒm assuming this is Jonnels intent.
Johnny