| Jul. 29th, 2008 04:53 pm Adoption Update Yesterday, we had the second hearing on the adoption. At this hearing we learned that the report from the GaL (essentially Derrick's court appointed lawyer) had not been turned in before due to a difference in the procedures between Cook, where the GaL normally works, and DuPage county procedures. This caused us to have to reschedule to this afternoon.
This afternoon's hearing went pretty well, but it isn't final. Since we still have to deal with an issue of terminating the parentage of the possible unknown father -- the fact that we have a DNA paternity test is not sufficient in this case -- and that cannot be done until the legal notice has run for 30 days, which won't happen until mid August.
Therefore, we will have one more hearing on September 4. The extra couple of weeks were because of the Judge's case load and, if I recall, his vacation.
While we thought that the judge was being needless picky at the initial hearing, it has been shown that he is just being very diligent and through with the law, and it sounds like there should be no trouble adopting once Derrick is adoptable. At this point we have one of the 4 potential parents who has not been legally released (I'm blanking the exact terms). {Yes, I said 4 parents: the mother, the presumed father -- Tara's brother -- the mother's husband at the time, and the possible unknown father} Once the court is able to deal with the possible unknown father, the judge basically said that he sees no reason that he won't be able to grant the adoption.
We will have to be in court on September 4, so we are flying back on September 3. Since I didn't feel comfortable trying to leave late on the 3rd in case things dragged into the afternoon, and September 5 is a Friday, we aren't actually heading back to San Diego until the following Sunday. We will probably be staying in Rockford with my in-laws instead of getting a hotel room near here. However, we may be available sometime that weekend. 4 comments - Leave a comment   |
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 | | From: |  rono_60103 |
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| Date: | July 29th, 2008 10:26 pm (UTC) |
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| | Tara's comment
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As the court proceeding dragged on as the judge asked question after question and kept poring over all the forms and paperwork, the judge finally addressed Ron and me and said that our next court date should be a very quick and easy because of the report that our guardian at leidem had given him. He said that he was very impressed how Derrick had improved in our care, but as he was complementing us I started to tear up. When he noticed this he turned into a bit of a softy. He apologized for making us have to come back, but he wished us a safe trip and said he would remember us in January when the weather will be bad.
