When children in care are adopted
Your child can be adopted if they are in out-of-home care. Read more about the process, consent and court requirements, including how to stop an adoption order.
How do I oppose the adoption order
If you decide to oppose the order in court, you have 14 days from the day you get the notice to file a form called an Appearance in the Supreme Court.
Your lawyer or Legal Aid NSW can help you to fill out the Appearance form.
The address of the Supreme Court is:
Street Address
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Law Courts Building
184 Phillip Street
SYDNEY NSW AUSTRALIA 2000
Postal Address
The Registrar, Equity Division
Supreme Court of NSW
GPO Box 3
SYDNEY NSW AUSTRALIA 2001
You should give the Court 2 copies, and ask the Court to give a ‘sealed’ (which means stamped) copy back to you.
When the Appearance form has been filed, the Court will let you know the date when the case will be in court.
The case won’t be decided on the first date, it is really important you go to court on that date. You will get a chance to tell the Court what you think about the adoption and give your own evidence.
If you don’t file the Appearance form within 14 days and if you don't go to court on the date of the case, the Court might make the adoption order without hearing from you.