Adoption Legal Settlements
A Mesa attorney with The Law Firm of Paul M. Fischer has assisted the SettlementBoard editorial team in identifying topics of importance to readers of this blog.
Adoption Organization Files Suit to Retain Control Over Adoptions and Foster Care
Catholic Charities filed a lawsuit with the Illinois Attorney General's office and state Department of Children and Family Services because it does not want to accept unmarried or civil union couples as potential foster and adoptive parents.
Jeff Englelhardt reported in "Catholic Charities sues state over civil union adoption policy" that the organization has maintained a 50-year stance against unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation. Instead, it refers those couples to other adoption agencies.
The suit came on the heels of a new civil union law that passed June 1 in Illinois.
Five Couples Sue Guatemalan Adoption Agency Under RICO
A lawsuit filed by five U.S.-based couples contends that a Guatemalan adoption agency "committed fraudulent adoptions through a bait-and-switch scheme."
A Reuters report by Dave Warner, "Couples sue adoption agency for 'bait, switch' scheme," noted that the couples each spent around $25,000 for adoption proceedings that were not completed. For example, one of the couples had been promised that their new daughter was waiting for them at a hotel in Guatemala. When they traveled there, no one showed up at the hotel. They were later informed that that the birth mother had taken the child back a couple of weeks before their visit.
The lawsuit is asking for three times the amount of money each couple lost, along with legal fees and other damages.
Madonna Sued for Visitation Rights of Adopted Daughter
The family of one of pop diva Madonna's daughters has asked the Civil Liberties Committee to sue Madonna on their behalf for visitation rights.
In "Family of Madonna's adoptive daughter Mercy have 'no legal right to see her,' lawyer admits," the Daily Mail reported that Madonna had made a verbal agreement with the family at the time of the adoption to allow them visits on a regular basis.
Madonna's attorney denied any such agreement.
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