Terry Fixel Comments on Unusual Family Law Case

Online, July 3, 2012 (Newswire.com) - USA Today reports that Torry Hansen adopted a boy from Russia. After bringing her new son home, Hansen returned the boy to Russia with a letter, which said he was "disturbed, violent, and she didn't want him anymore." Naturally, this case created controversy regarding international adoptions and even caused a rift between United States and Russian adoption programs. Now, Hansen has been ordered by the United States court system to pay child support for the boy until he turns 18. Terry Fixel , a Florida-based attorney, believes this case demonstrates the way in which the court system views an adopted child in the same manner as a natural child.

According to the article, the World Association for Children and Parents is the organization that sued for child support. This is the organization that helped Hansen adopt her son. While Hansen has missed all of her court dates since the suit began, she did file her own suit against the orphanage from which she adopted her son. She claims that, since the country of Russia has annulled the adoption, the orphanage should not be able to claim child support.

Although Hansen has fought back, though minimally, against the suit, the court's decision to make her pay child support has set a precedent that adoption advocates are happy to see. The article reports: "Adoption advocates hailed the Tennessee court order as a measure of justice for the boy, and said the judge's decision would show there are consequences to abandoning adopted children. They have said Hansen never told social workers that she was having problems with the boy."

Terry Fixel believes that many lessons should be learned from this unfortunate situation. In addition to adoptive parents needing to understand their responsibilities, this case shows the need for clear communication and trust on both sides of an adoption.

"Children are not expendable commodities," commented Terry Fixel. "An adoption places a party in the position of a natural parent who is responsible for the health and wellbeing of their child. The law makes no distinction between a natural child and an adopted child."

Terry Fixel hopes that adoptive parents, orphanages, and adoption agencies learn from this experience without letting it prevent loving parents from providing good homes to children in need.

ABOUT:

Terry Fixel practices appellate and family law in the state of Florida. Since starting her career in 1979, Terry Fixel has offered legal services to her community regarding divorce, domestic violence, child abduction, child custody, emancipation, and paternity litigation, in addition to appellate cases. Terry Fixel graduated from the University of Miami Law School and, over the course of the last three decades, has maintained her position of as "Member in Good Standing" with the Florida Bar.