ADOPTION BY FOREIGN NATIONALS OR BY LITHUANIAN ...

4When the family accepts the proposal, the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Serviceas well as the central authority or the accredited adoption agency of the receiving State shall issue apermit to continue the adoption procedure.6. Court judgment regarding adoptionVilnius District Court shall make a judgment regarding adoption by foreign nationals.When a family accepts the proposal, the adoption case shall be prepared for the court. Thefamily’s representative or the attorney at law usually prepares the application and documents foradoption.Both spouses must attend the court hearing.During the hearing court shall verify whether the pre-trial adoption procedure was properlyperformed, whether potential adoptive parents meet the requirements and are prepared to raise thechild, and whether the adoption meets the best interests of the child.The court’s judgment shall come into force after 40 days (30 days if the habitual residence ofthe applicants is in Lithuania), unless it is appealed. Only persons involved in the case, i.e. theapplicants, the guardian of the adoptee, and other interested persons, may only lodge the appeal.The family may stay the above forty-day period in Lithuania. The adopted child is usuallyallowed to stay together with the family. The family may also leave Lithuania and return only afterthe court’s judgement regarding adoption come into force.The biological parents of the child shall not be notified about the hearing of the adoption case.Adoption shall invalidated the mutual personal and property rights and duties of biologicalparents and children and their relatives while creating mutual personal and property rights for theadoptive parents, their relatives kindred and the adopted children and their descendants as relativesby blood. The adopted child shall retain his/her identity data such as his/her date and place of birth.The child may be given the surname of his/her adoptive parents and his/her name may be changed.7. Departure of the childThe following documents shall be required for the departure of the child:1) the judgement of Vilnius District Court regarding adoption;2) a new birth certificate of the child;3) the child’s passport;4) a visa, if applicable according to the legislation of the receiving State;5) the certificate on compliance with intercountry adoption.New birth certificate of the childAfter the court’s judgment regarding adoption come into force, the adoptive parents mustcontact the Civil Registry Department that registered the birth of the child regarding the issuing of anew birth certificate. The following documents must be submitted to the Civil Registry Department:1) copies of passports of the adoptive parents (translated into Lithuanian and legalized);2) a copy of the marriage certificate of the adoptive parents (translated into Lithuanian andlegalized);3) the original copy of the judgment of Vilnius District Court regarding adoption;4) the original copy of the birth certificate of the child.Both adoptive parents shall fill the application form regarding the issuing of a new birthcertificate for their adopted child. One of the parents may authorise the other parent (or both parentsmay authorise a third party) to contact the Civil Registry Department in order to obtain a new birthcertificate for the adopted child.A new birth certificate is usually issued on the same day.