Opinion ID: 1304855
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Appointment of Intermediary

Text: The opinions of both the family court and Court of Appeals have correctly stressed the need to protect the identity of parties in an adoption because privacy is vital to the success of adoption as public policy. The Does have consistently maintained their desire throughout these proceedings to receive only non-identifying information about the biological parents in order to help Child. Their attitude is consistent with the Legislature's intent to protect the privacy of all parties to an adoption by limiting the dissemination of identifying information. See, e.g., S.C.Code Ann. § 20-7-1780(A) (closing adoption hearings to the general public); § 20-7-1780(D) (allowing an agency under certain circumstances to furnish adoptive parents with non-identifying information); § 20-7-1780(E) (regulating the way agencies may release identifying information to adoptive child of biological parents and biological siblings; regulating the way agencies may release identifying information to biological parents and biological siblings of adoptive child); § 20-7-1780(F) (making it a misdemeanor to furnish adoptive child or biological parents/siblings identifying information). However, if Does show good cause under § 20-7-1780 they may have access to all information included in the Clerk of Court's records on Child's adoption. The Does would also obtain identifying information when reviewing Law Firm's adoption file. The Legislature requires we defer to the best interests of the child when a conflict arises between the adopted child and privacy interests of the parties. In this case we may both promote the best interests of the child and the privacy rights of each party by the appointment of an intermediary. It is in Child's best interests to have access to the file but it is not essential, to help Child, that Does receive identifying information about the biological parents. By appointing a trained, confidential intermediary to review the file, contact the biological parents, if necessary, and prepare a report for the family court's review, we fulfill the child's best interests while maintaining the privacy of parties to an adoption. The family court possesses the power to appoint such an intermediary. See S.C.Code Ann. § 20-7-420(3) (1976) (empowering the family court to make any order necessary to carry out and enforce the provisions of [the Children's Code]). Colorado law is instructive on the intermediary's status. There, courts may appoint a trained confidential intermediary to determine the whereabouts of an adoptee's biological relatives. See Colo.Rev.Stat. Ann. § 19-5-304 et. seq. (Supp. 1992); see also, In re Tomlinson, 851 P.2d 170 (Colo.1993). The intermediary is considered an officer of the court and is required to guard any information received as confidential. [5] See id. More relevant to the circumstances of this case, New York allows courts to appoint a guardian ad litem or other disinterested person, who shall have access to the adoption records for the purpose of obtaining the medical information sought and consent to disclose the information from those records or, where the records are insufficient for such purpose, through contacting the biological parents. N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 114(4) (McKinney 1999). The intermediary serves as a filter, obtaining the records and extracting the needed information, which is then passed on to the petitioner. N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 114, prac. cmt. The court, upon receiving the intermediary's report, reviews it in camera, redacts any identifying information, and discloses the balance of the report to the adoptee. See id.; see also, Chattman v. Bennett, 57 A.D.2d 618, 393 N.Y.S.2d 768, 769 (N.Y.App.Div.1977) (allowing court to make available to petitioner, from the file pertaining to her adoption, her medical records and those of her natural parents, as well as any other material therein relating to possible genetic or hereditary conditions, while deleting therefrom any nonpertinent information, including the names of the natural parents.). We believe the appointment of an intermediary is appropriate under the circumstances of this case. The intermediary shall be independent of any party to the suit and be trained as a guardian ad litem or as an attorney. The intermediary will serve as a liaison between the court and the biological parents. It is the duty of the intermediary to review the adoption files and contact the biological parents, if necessary to obtain the information sought by the Does. The intermediary shall treat any information received as strictly confidential. At the conclusion of the research, the intermediary shall issue a report detailing the information received while redacting any information which identifies the biological relatives. The family court judge shall then review the report in camera to determine whether the intermediary has furnished all pertinent information while maintaining the confidentiality of the biological parents.