This is for anyone interested in finding out how the process works.
To get your Non-Identifying Information you can write to or call:
Children, Youth and Families Dept.
PO Drawer 5160
Santa Fe, NM 87502.
1-800-610-7610
In New Mexico adoption records are sealed meaning the records are not available to the adult adoptee, birth parents and or adoptive parents. There are so many of us who would like to have information about our beginnings and our biological relatives, or a birth parent that would like to know how his/her adult child has fared.
Because of this need, we have worked out a system with the District court to allow this to be done. It is called the Intermediary System. An adult adoptee, a birth parent of a child that is 18 years or older, or a sibling of a person 18 years or older can petition the First Judicial District Court to have the adoption file opened. You will need to hire an attorney to Petition the court the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico in Santa Fe. We have been using the below listed attorney:
Ms. Ann Yalman, Attorney at Law
304 Catron St. Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
505-988-8838
Ms. Yalman will do this for a price that is reasonable and in a timely fashion. However, you may select an attorney of you own if you so desire. If you wish for Ms. Yalman to start this procedure, you must write her a letter telling of your desire to petition the court for you adoption file.
She will need the following facts:
1. Your adoptive name, If you are a birth parent, your child's name at birth: if you are a sibling your siblings name at birth.
2. The date and place of birth, i.e., City and State
3. The adoptive parents names. They will not be contacted if you are an adult, but an adoptee file is archived under the adoptive parent's name. It
is also cross referenced under the birth mothers name, so if you are the birth parent or sibling the attorney know what name you used at the time of birth.
4. The county in which the adoption was finalized if you know. It should have been in the County where the adoptive parents lived at the time of the
adoption.
5. That the Intermediary System has been explained to you.
Next Send this information plus .00 to Ms. Yalman. This amount covers her fee, and the filing of the petition with the court. After court issues the order to have the file opened, the order will be sent to the children youth and families department, adoptive services unit. They will obtain the file and forward it on to Sally File. Upon her receipt of the file it will be assigned to a court appointed intermediary to be reviewed and prepared for searching.
When your Intermediary contacts you to inform you that they are ready to do the search they will be requesting three items from you:
1. A picture of yourself and your family if you wish.
2. A letter to the person you are searching for, telling the a little about yourself and why you want to be in touch with them.
3. .00 which is authorized by the court for the expenses that are incurred while doing the search.
Upon receiving these items your Intermediary will begin to work on completing your case as quickly as possible some searches are completed very quickly and some take longer than others do. If the person you are searching for is deceased, then your intermediary will attempt to obtain a Death Certificate to prove to the court that your relative is deceased and you will usually then be allowed to have the complete file.
Once your Intermediary has located the person, they will make an attempt to contact them and inform them of you. If after three attempts of contact they do not choose to sign the consent form needed to release their information, the Intermediary must then send the file back to the court and the case will be closed.
Currently we have a 98% success rate. Going into this you must consider that the person you are searching for may not choose to have contact at this time in their life. It is not a personal rejection because you cannot reject something you don't know, but you can reject a very unpleasant time in
your life that you have tried to put behind you. It doesn't happen often, but you need to consider that this is a possibility. When the located person signs the consent of release your intermediary will make the necessary arrangements to put you in contact with your relative. Also, they will help you in any way possible to prepare for this soon to be emotional reunion.
If after reading this, you still have questions concerning the process, please feel free to contact me at 505-293-3144 (sally file) or 505-837-2710
Debbie Goble.
We look forward to working with you to find the loved one you are searching for.
Thank you to Debbie Goble for providing this information.
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