Q: Do I have to hire an attorney to get a copy of my adoption papers. step-father adopted me in '72 after he married my mom

A: Well, come on back to your 'Sweet Home Alabama.' It's a great place and it misses you! On a serious note, even though you don't live here, you will need come to an Alabama court to get the information you seek if the adoption happened here. And, you would be best served to hire an Alabama attorney. Alabama Code Section 26-10A-31 governs the release of information about adoptions. In general information about an adoption is confidential. The statute sets out a procedure whereby you can ask the court to appoint an intermediary who will attempt to contact your biological father. If the father consents to the release of his identity, the court will provide that information to you. If he does not consent, you will not get this information from the court. There is some information that can be released to you even without his consent such as health information, if available, but you will not get his identity without his consent and a court order. Today a natural parent is given the option to release of his or her identity at the time of the adoption. In 1972, however, this was not the law and adoptions were strictly confidential. I'll be happy to speak with you about this matter. While I have discussed the general provisions of the law, there are some exceptions. So you shouldn't rely on this note as a legal opinion. If you click on my name it will take you to my contact page. There you can find information on how to contact me, either by phone or by email. I don't charge for the first 30 minutes of an initial consultation. Good Luck.