Adoption Tax Credit Scrutinized by IRS

The IRS appears to be scrutinizing adoption tax credit claims more vigorously this year, perhaps because the credit was refundable for the first time in 2010. Several former clients have called our office to let us know they are being audited, some because of tax credits they applied for more than 5 years ago. CNN Money has an article about the tax credit and the IRS' treatment of it here. The Federal Adoption Tax Credit helps many families afford the high costs of adoption and also motivates families to adopt special needs children, as the entire credit may be claimed for a special needs child even if no costs were involved.

** This post is not meant to constitute tax advice. For advice about the Federal Adoption Tax Credit please talk to a certified public accountant.

Our Savannah Office has Relocated!

Entrance to our new Savannah office location.

Attorney Will Claiborne in his new office.

We proudly announce that the Savannah office of Claiborne & Surmay, P.C. has relocated to a new office on East Bay Street. The Savannah office continues to offer high quality legal representation in the areas of Domestic Relations Litigation; Assisted Reproductive Technologies; Adoption; and Civil Litigation. The contact information for the new Savannah office is:

Claiborne & Surmay, P.C.
Attorney Will Claiborne
Paralegal Kimberly Griffin
410 East Bay Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401
Telephone: 912-236-9559
Facsimile: 912-236-1884

Conference Room.

We look forward to seeing you in our Savannah office in the very near future.

Breastfeeding after Adoption or Surrogacy

The Creating a Family website, operated by Dawn Davenport, is a wonderful resource on infertility, ART and adoption. Each week she blogs and facilitates a radio show. Past episodes are available on the website. This week's radio show is on Breastfeeding the Child Through Adoption or Surrogacy and it includes first hand accounts from parents who successfully breast-fed their children who were adopted or born through surrogacy. Check it out to find out more about this interesting topic.

Book Signing This Saturday!

Rebecca Falco will be reading from and signing copies of her book, "Everything In Its Own Time: A mother's memoir about adopting five children, and the ones that got away" this Saturday, January 8, 2011 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM at Eagle Eye Book. For more information please click here.

November is National Adoption Month

Did you know that November is National Adoption month? In many jurisdictions there are state-sponsored celebrations centered around adoption including a Saturday when the juvenile court is open specifically to finalize a large number of public agency (DFCS) adoptions.

President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation for National Adoption Month. The full text of the proclamation can be found here.

Happy National Adoption Month!

Haiti Adoption News and Notes

Last month Ruth Claiborne of Claiborne & Surmay, P.C. finalized the adoption of two children from Haiti, brought to the United States on humanitarian parole. A limited number of Haitian orphans whose adoptions were already in process were allowed into the United States soon after the devastating earthquake in January. This is different from typical Haitian adoptions, where the adoption is finalized in Haiti and then domesticated in the United States. Haiti is still currently closed to new adoptions, although they are continuing to process adoptions initiated prior to the earthquake.

In related news, the Help Haiti Act of 2010 as well as the Lofgren bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 20, 2010. The Help Haiti Act, also known as as the Fortenberry Act, aims to give Haitian children who came here through humanitarian parole the same status as children who come through IR-4 visas. The Lofgren bill will change the age limit of the child from 16 years old to 18 years old for purposes of immigration.

Adopting from Haiti

Since the earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010, our firm has received multiple inquiries from people interested in adopting Haitian orphans. While it is likely that adoptions from Haiti will resume eventually, no new applications are being accepted at this time. Instead, child welfare advocates around the globe agree that the best practice is to search for relatives and local caregivers for children in Haiti, while helping the nation of Haiti to rebuild and implement an improved child welfare system.

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute recently convened to hold "Building a Strong Foundation for Children and Families of Haiti", at which international experts came together to discuss and brainstorm about most effective ways to serve Haiti's children and families.

Adoptions that were in process prior to the earthquake continue. Some families were able to bring their children home through humanitarian parole, a short-term allocation that made it possible for children already identified and in the process of being adopted, to immigrate to the United States without first being adopted in Haiti. Instead the initial adoptions of these children are taking place in the US.