Ward Of Court And Adoption

[kloofnek]

If a baby is made ward of court can it be adopted without the mother`s agreement or her signing the adoption papers?

[sandyRoe]

I think that it could. The fact that it was a ward of the court means that they'd have the final say.

[kloofnek]

That is what I thought....thanks for confirming it.

[sandyRoe]

Hardly confirmation. That's just a laymans opinion. But if the court sought advice from social workers and they advised adoption then there'd be nothing the mother could do.

[sandyRoe]

http://www.forced-adoption.com/introduction.asp

[kloofnek]

Sandy,i meant that it is not just I who was thinking along those lines.I had been watching Long Lost Family earlier on and it made me wonder of this could happen...not that this is what happened in the episode.

[Sharingan]

I think, but I am not sure, ( I have an interest in law but no real knowledge) that Wardship proceedings begin in the High Court and are rarely necessary since the Children's Act, so I really don't know in modern times but historcially I imagine that the court took on parental responsibility for the child and thus was the final decision maker regarding adoption, although whether this could take place without the mother's knowledge I am unsure.

[tonywiltshire]

You are quite correct Sharingan and do remember there is no age limit to reading law, there are probably over 120,000 people with a good degree in law some of them with little interest in the subject which will show, you would not be one of them.
If the child is made Ward of court,(which is quite unusual) custody and decision making will be vested in the High Court who will make any decision concerning the child, so the Mother would have to convince a Court that it was in the best interests of the child (being paramount) for her to succeed in being involved.