Wills |
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H E L P I N G P E O P L E H E L P T H E M S E L V E S Legal-Eaze™ International Adoption Specialists LLC www.Legal-Eaze.com Legal Form Preparation Without a Lawyer International Adoption Document and Authentication Specialists |
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To contact us: |
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Legal-Eaze CT Headquarters 290 Willow Road Guilford, CT 06437 Phone: 203-458-6007 Fax: 866-608-6674 E-mail: CToffice@legal-eaze.com
Legal-Eaze NYC Office (NYC Courier) 366 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 275 New York, NY 10024 Phone: 845-642-2990 Fax: 212-712-2664 E-mail: NYoffice@legal-eaze.com
Legal-Eaze FL Office (Readoptions) 4209 Bluff Harbor Way Wellington, FL 33449 Phone: 561-422-6007 Fax: 866-608-6674 E-mail: Readoptions@legal-eaze.com
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© 1996-2008 Legal-Eaze International Adoption Specialists LLC All Rights Reserved. Revised 03/26/08 |
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Legal-Eaze recommendations for post adoption paperwork (in addition to post placement reports required by your agency) are as follows, in the order of importance and convenience: · Wills (for Guardianship Purposes) · Life Insurance · Medical Insurance · Readoption, Name Change, and U.S. Birth Certificates · Certificate of Citizenship · Social Security · U.S. Passport · Return of Original Documents (USCIS Form G884 and G639) · Adoption Tax Credit You will find information on each of these topics below. Questions can be directed to ctoffice@legal-eaze.com. |
Readoption (Finalization of Foreign Adoption) |
Certificate of Citizenship |
Social Security Numbers |
U.S. Passport |
Return of Original Documents—Form G-884 |
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Legal-Eaze prepares simple wills under the strict supervision of the parent. If you need a will to designate a guardian for your child, please complete a Wills Application and return it to us at our Connecticut Headquarters Office. Fee for Wills are $150 each. |
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The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (effective as of February 27, 2001) has caused confusion determining whether or not all internationally adopted children are granted automatic U.S. citizenship.
In simplistic terms, children entering the U.S. on an IR-3 visa are automatically granted U.S. citizenship upon immigration. Those entering on an IR-4 visa are NOT automatically granted U.S. citizenship without finalization of the foreign adoption under U.S. state law. This is a USCIS (Immigration) requirement for citizenship and has nothing to do with whether or not your state requires readoption. Read more about “Why Readoption is Important”. Please consult an attorney to determine whether or not you should readopt. |
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When you readopt, you get a State-issued adoption decree, a state birth certificate, and a legal name change for your child. If you wish to readopt, however, Legal-Eaze can assist you in the preparation of the paperwork necessary for filing with the Family/Surrogate/Probate/Orphan Court in your county in the following states (click on the state to print application): · Connecticut (only for IR-4 visa holders; change of name and recognition of adoption is available for IR-3 visa holders) · Florida · New York · Ohio · South Carolina (contact us for form) . . . With more states to come . . . It is highly suggested that you research the adoption and readoption laws in your state. Legal-Eaze is not responsible for your decision. If in doubt, always consult a lawyer for legal advice. The following is a great site to begin your research: Adoption Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
Legal-Eaze also prepares the paperwork for Second Parent Adoptions in New York State only. A second parent adoption is when a single parent adopts a child, then wants to add a new spouse or a same-sex partner to the child’s adoption decree. If you would like Legal-Eaze to prepare your paperwork for a second parent adoption, please click to download the Second Parent Adoption Application and instructions.
Again, we are NOT lawyers and do not give legal advice. We simply prepare the paperwork under your own guidance and direction. You receive the appropriate paperwork back with instructions and ready for filing. You file the paperwork directly with the Court. Contact our Readoptions Coordinator, Debi Dragunat, with any questions.
Most courts require that readoption or second parent adoption paperwork be filed along with a current home study update or post placement report. We advise you to file your readoption/second parent adoption paperwork at the time you are having post placement reports done by your adoption/home study agency. By doing it this way, you will not incur additional home study costs just for the readoption. Fee for Readoption — $500* Fee for Second Parent Adoption — $600* *Price is strictly for legal form preparation. Court costs, home study fees, and/or filing fees, if any, are not included. |
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Important Update
Effective January 20, 2004, all children entering the U.S. on a IR-3 visa will automatically be mailed a Certificate of Citizenship within approximately four (4) weeks after immigration. This does not apply to children entering the U.S. under an IR-4 visa, or for children who entered the U.S. before January 20, 2004. For children entering under an IR-4 visa, you must still apply for a Certificate of Citizenship AFTER readoption requirements are met. For ALL children who entered the U.S. before January 20, 2004, you must still apply for a Certificate of Citizenship for your child.
Read about the Ethica Certificate of Citizenship Project. |
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All foreign-born adopted children should have a Certificate of Citizenship issue by the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, formerly BCIS and INS) even if they already have a U.S. Passport. Do not rely on a U.S. Passport for proof of citizenship. ALWAYS obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child. Click here to read the reasons why!
COMPLIMENTARY CITIZENSHIP “DO-IT-YOURSELF” PACKET We’ve put together a complimentary packet of letters and forms to help you obtain your child’s Certificate of Citizenship. Click here to print the Citizenship Packet.
The correct form to use to file for Citizenship on Behalf of Adopted Child is now N-600 (revised 10/15/07). This replaces N-643. If you live OUTSIDE the U.S., then you should use N-600K.
Effective July 30, 2007, the filing fee for an adopted child is $420. . The money order must be made payable to “Department of Homeland Security” and do not use any initials on your money order.
For more information, contact Patti Urban or visit the USCIS Website. |
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When you returned to the U.S. with your new son or daughter, you handed the Immigrations’ officials a sealed envelope containing the visa and other documents pertaining to the adoption. You can now request that the documents contained in the sealed envelope be returned to you. In order to do that, you should first wait until the documents are transferred to the local USCIS processing center (usually takes about 6 months to a year from the date of immigration). Then complete Form G-884 (Return of Original Documents and instructions) and mail it to your local USCIS Office (see box on right). Contact Patti Urban if you have any questions. After you get back the contents, if you would like to try to get more documents back, file Form G-639 (Freedom of Information Act Request) and mail it to the National Records Center (see box on right). |
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To make the post-adoption process as effective and efficient as possible, we recommend holding off getting your child a social security number until AFTER you change your child’s name (through readoption) AND get your child a Certificate of Citizenship. By waiting until these steps are completed, you will only need to make one trip to the Social Security Office. Sometimes a family must obtain a social security number earlier (to open bank accounts, file a tax return, apply for the $10,000 Child Adoption Credit). If you get a social security number before getting your child’s name changed and proof of U.S. citizenship, you will need to go back to Social Security after doing so in order to change your child’s name and his/her status from Permanent Resident to U.S. Citizen.
Once you have both the Readoption Certificate (name change) and the Certificate of Citizenship, you complete Social Security Form SS-5 and bring it to any Social Security Office. Bring the following documents with you:
· Original foreign adoption documents, including adoption decree, abandonment certificates, and foreign birth certificate(s); · Child’s foreign passport; · Child’s Certificate of Citizenship and/or Permanent Resident Card; · Child’s Readoption Certificate; and · Parent’s U.S. Passport.
You will receive a social security card for your child in the mail, usually within two weeks. For more information, visit the Social Security Administration website.
How do I obtain a Social Security number for a foreign-born adopted child? Frequently asked questions: SSA Answers |
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Your child needs a U.S. Passport to travel overseas as an American Citizen. To obtain a passport for a minor, you apply to the U.S. State Department using Form DS-11. By waiting until you have a Certificate of Citizenship for your child, you will not have to send in your original foreign adoption paperwork — only the COC. You will, however, need to bring all the original foreign adoption paperwork with you to your local Passport Processing Office (such as a county clerk office or a post office). To read the specifics on applying for a passport for your child, click here. For more information, please visit the U.S. State Department—Passport Info Website. |
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Good News!! As a result of the Hope for Children’s Act, effective January 1, 2002, you may be entitled to an Adoption Tax Credit of up to $11,390 per qualified adoption completed in 2007. Consult your tax advisor for information and/or changes. The forms are below: Form 8839 (Qualified Adoption Expenses) and Instructions for Form 8839 |
Adoption Tax Credit |
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“Do not be afraid for I am with you.
I will bring your children from the East and gather you from the West.” --Isaiah 43:5 |
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Post-Adoption Services |