I had no idea this category existed until today. Normally, I'm researching surnames and places, but stumbled upon this and thought I'd offer my story.

When I first got the internet in 2000 for our son, I got hooked on genealogy. Always knew I was adopted (1963 Carolina Children's Home), but had the best parents in the world and had no desire to find my birth parents. I was always curious, but not THAT curious. When the genealogy bug hit me, I decided to search online for adoption websites. I finally found a registry online and 2 hours later, after a little sleuthing, I was talking to my birth mother on the phone. She had registered on that website and had been looking for me for 2 years.

Since then, we have met and have a wonderful relationship. She "named" my birth father and I have met him as well. However, that's not a happy story. He denies being my birth father, which is ok, I can only imagine how he feels. However, he has been wonderful to me and my family, but not to my birth mother. This leads me to the legal info part.

I had the notion a few months ago to have my original birth certificate unsealed (lucky me to be born in '63 when they started sealing them!). I knew this would mean hiring a lawyer, so I did and asked my birth mother to come down from Greenville to meet with him. He told us that in order to have the birth certificate unsealed, we would have to get my birth father involved if his name was mentioned on the birth certificate. If we had no way of contacting him, then the lawyer would have to literally find him and ask his permission. While my birth mother thinks she didn't name him on the certificate, it would be a real snag in our effort if he was. The lawyer would also have to travel to Greenville to the courthouse to have legal documents drawn and obtain the certificate info and that may take a couple of trips. He is not allowed to view the actual certificate, I will NEVER see a copy of it and neither will my birth mother. The only thing we are allowed to know, which is only read by a judge or clerk of court and conveyed under witnesses to the lawyer (sounds like some super secret society thing), is the information mentioned on the birth certificate. The lawyer actually said that it pretty much takes an act of Congress to get a birth certificate unsealed in South Carolina. Know what? I believe him.

I thought this info might be useful to those who are thinking of getting a certificate unsealed. I haven't pursued my effort in a while. When I decide to move forward and gather more information, I'll certainly relay that information to you.

Sincerely,
Dana Risinger
West Columbia, SC