Law Commons^™

Texas Adoption Laws And Adoptee's Rights Of Access To Confidential Records., Cynthia A. Rucker

St. Mary's Law Journal

Since the adoption process affects the lives of numerous people, courts must reach a decision which benefits all parties involved in the process. Many adoptees retain an emotional desire, or a psychological need, to ascertain the identity of their birth parents. This desire or need is in direct conflict with state statutes mandating adoption information remain sealed and confidential. In recent years, courts across the country have considered several cases challenging the validity of confidentiality statutes on constitutional grounds. Primarily, adoptees have asserted confidentiality statutes deny them a fundamental right to privacy, a right to receive information, and a right …