Birth Certificates and Overseas Adoptions

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When couples are in the process of adopting a child from a foreign country, the excitement of having a child may trump any of the thoughts of paperwork they will have to be sure is prepared and in order. However having the paper work, especially the birth certificate, is one extremely important procedure that cannot be dismissed. New babies bring lots of love and joy to a family and this is most often what is on the minds of the individuals that are looking to adopt. It can be easy to get caught up in all of the joy of having a new child and bringing it home to the United States, however a proper birth certificate must be in order for a legal adoption to be completed.

Adoptions that happen within foreign countries differ than those in the United States in many ways. Once is in how the birth certificate must be obtained. The adoption papers must be filed in the adoptive parents county of residence from the country of birth of the prospective adoptive child. It is then up to the district court in the county of the adoptive parents residence to complete the Certificate of Adoption of form and then mail it to the Office of the State Registrar. The Office of the Registrar in the state of adoption then uses the information contained on the Certificate of Adoption form to establish a birth certificate that will show the information regarding the adoptive birth.

The new birth certificate that is issued containing the information regarding the adoption will replace the birth certificate that was issued at the time of the child's birth. While these are the procedures, for the most part that need to be followed, it is extremely important to check with the rules and regulations governing both your state and the country of child that is being adopted. These rules can may change within different countries and even within different states within the U.S.

Every year, it seems more and more birth certificates are being issued for children that have been adopted from foreign countries. In 2007, around 20,000 children were adopted from overseas. While this number has dwindled down since 2004, which saw 22,884 overseas adoptions, it seems to be holding steady at the present. Of course, as these children are being brought into loving homes, there is the need for birth records showing their birth information.

If you are considering adopting a child, either overseas or within the United States, it is important to find out all of the information needed in order to be able to obtain a birth certificate for your prospective adoptive child. While most of the paperwork will be taken care of by the attorneys that you are using and the adoption agency, it is always important to search out the rules and regulations yourself. This allows you to understand the process that goes into obtaining a birth record for your new son or daughter and will help answer any questions that you may have.

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Obama Birth Certificate Lawsuit Over

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeIt looks like the lawsuit that was filed by Democratic attorney Philip Berg against presidential hopeful Barak Obama, was dismissed today. The lawsuit alleged that Mr. Obama was not eligible to be President because he was not meeting the requirements that were needed. Berg wanted Obama to provide documentation to the court, such as his birth certificate, verifying that he was born in Hawaii and indeed an American citizen. Mr. Berg believes that Obama was born in Kenya and not in Hawaii.

A federal judge dismissed Bergs lawsuit on the grounds that it lacked any standing, and additionally that Berg lacked the standing to bring such a lawsuit. The judge concluded that regular citizens can't sue to ensure that a candidate for the presidency actually meets the constitutional requirements needed for the office. Judge Surrick stated that the Legislature(Congress) needs to create the laws to allow citizens, voters, or other party members to police these matters. He declared that until this is done, these types of lawsuits cannot be brought before the court.

Therefore, the lawsuit was dismissed on legal grounds having to do with whether it could actually have been brought to begin with. The lawsuit was not dismissed because the birth certificate was brought forth and determined to be authentic, or even because the judge deemed the lawsuit frivolous.

Berg is not happy with the decision and contends that if regular citizens don't have the ability to question whether the person running to become President of our country is eligible, then who does have the right?

Birth Certificate: A Vital Document

Image via WikipediaGiovanni Jacopo Casanova once said about his life, "I know I existed, and I am sure of it because I felt by my own senses." But in the USA, like in any developed nation, you need a birth certificate to prove your existence. A birth certificate is a vital document that is helpful in obtaining a passport, visa, social security number, school admissions, sports participations, and a driver’s license. Although its utility is not limited to these aspects alone. From statisticians to the voting public, everyone may get curious about birth certificates and a lot of interesting incidents have happened centering around birth certificates.

For instance, what is the first thing that a person inheriting a million dollars from her rich uncle needs to produce? It is her birth certificate. She will have to prove her identity and relationship with the bequeather. These certificates are also needed for various other reasons such as the birth of a baby, including those that are stillborn. For the parents of stillborn babies, the birth certificate has a lot of emotional significance. Should the parents of a stillborn baby receive a birth certificate along with the death certificate? There was an instance of a sudden hike in the birth certificate fees in some states that led to strong protests in 1994. The fees were hiked from $5 per copy of a birth certificate to $15. Many felt that the $10 fee increase was unjustified. It was argued that the amount could have gone to buying diapers and other baby care products.

Age forging is an epidemic in sports. US sporting history is replete with such stories. It is sad when sports personalities mislead their teams and individuals involved on their age. While competitors attempt to hide their real age, birth certificates can blow the whistle on such issues.

In the United States, birth certificates are basic proofs of citizenship of individuals born within the country. A birth certificate can be obtained from the office of vital statistics in the state of the person's birth. It can be requested by Internet, fax, through the mail or in person. In many cases, individuals will request more than one copy of the certificate. Applying for a number of copies of the birth certificate will be helpful in using them for various purposes.