Finalizing an adoption is an amazing feeling. However, there still remain critical things that you want to do in the early days, weeks and months following an adoption. Here are a few items to add to your To Do List:
1. Obtain a new birth certificate for your child.
Although your child may already have a birth certificate, you want to obtain a new one
that reflects that you are the legal parents. If a child was born in Georgia, parents can obtain a new birth certificate for their child from the Georgia State Office of Vital Records. A birth certificate can be requested in person, online or by mail. To obtain the new birth certificate, you will need to provide a Certificate of Adoption (Form 3927) certified by the court, valid identification, and a certified Final Adoption Order from the court.
2. Keep the original birth certificate for your child.
Keep the original birth certificate of the child in a safe a secure location. Once the new birth certificate is created, you cannot obtain the original birth certificate from vital records. The original birth certificate may be an important keep sake that your child may treasure later in his or her life.
3. Apply for a social security card and obtain a new social security number.
When an adoption is finalized in Georgia, the minor child is entitled to a new social security number. To apply for a new social security number, you will need to complete Form SS-5, and take the minor child’s new birth certificate and a certified final order of adoption to the social security office.
4. Update your Will.
Once the adoption process is complete, Georgia laws treat an adopted child the same as a biological child for inheritance purposes. Still, a Will is very important in the event of the unexpected death of both parents, because it can express your intentions for who should care for your child in the event of your death.
5. Update Georgia Reunion Registry.
The Georgia Adoption Reunion Registry is maintained by the Division of Family and Children Services (“DFCS”) to organize and provide information to connect adopted individuals and their original families. When you update the Georgia Reunion Registry, you are providing valuable information that will allow your child to know or be known by other relatives later in his or her life. The Georgia Reunion Registry helps adoptees, birth parents, or siblings who have been permanently separated through adoption to have more information about their biological family.
6. Adjust your insurance and employer benefits.
The important thing to remember is that after the important legal paperwork clears,
your adopted child has all of the same rights and entitlements as any biological child. Now, you may add the child to your benefits polices. Contact your Human Resources representative to inquire about procedures for changing your family status with each benefits provider.
7. Meet with your financial advisor about the Adoption Tax Credit.
The IRS offers tax benefits for adoption, including a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses. Adoption expenses are listed by the IRS as reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs and attorney fees, travel expenses and other expenses that are directly related to and for the principal purpose of the legal adoption of an eligible child. Once your adoption has been finalized, you should also speak to your accountant or financial advisor about the Adoption Tax Credit and related dependency credits.
8. Update Social Security for Disability Benefits.
More than just retirement income, the Social Security Administration also pays disability
benefit income to qualifying persons. If a parent is disabled or retired, or dies after contributing for a long enough period of time to Social Security, a child is eligible for these benefits.
9. Write down your child’s story in order to preserve it.
In the flurry of activity (and paperwork) involved in bringing your child into his or her new home, details may get lost over time. That is why it is important to take a moment to record the story of how you adopted your child. The story can be in written word, pictures or other
Mementos, including excerpts of posts from social media. No matter what type of storyteller you are, this story will be about a milestone in your child’s life.
10. Keep your certified copy of your Final Adoption Order in a secure place.
The certified copy of the Final Adoption Order is the version that bears the official seal of
the court. This is a very important document, and should be kept in a safe and secure place, as retrieving additional copies of it after a final hearing is not a simple or convenient process. Since adoptions are closed matters at a court, if you need additional copies of your Final Adoption Order after the day of your final adoption hearing, a motion to the court is necessary requesting the court to open the adoption file to provide a copy of this final order.
If you have more questions about an adoption, please contact The Campbell Law Practice, LLC and schedule a consultation.