The Second Department determined Surrogate’s Court did not have the authority under the Domestic Relations Law to deny recognition of, or vacate, adoption orders issued to petitioners by a Russian court. After adopting the children, petitioners learned the children had serious mental health problems which required placement in a residential psychiatric treatment facility. Petitioners then sought relief from the Russian adoption orders:
… [T]he Surrogate’s Court lacked authority under Domestic Relations Law § 111-c to deny recognition of the adoption order. Although a court may deny a petition for registration of a foreign adoption order on the ground that it does not satisfy the requirements set forth in Domestic Relations Law § 111-c(1) … , the statute, by its plain language, was not intended to function as a means to abrogate a foreign adoption or deny recognition of a foreign adoption order on the basis of fraud. …
The Surrogate’s Court similarly lacked authority under Domestic Relations Law § 114(3) to vacate the adoption order. That statute provides that, “[i]n like manner as a court of general jurisdiction exercises such powers, a judge or surrogate of a court in which the order of adoption was made may open, vacate or set aside such order of adoption for fraud, newly discovered evidence or other sufficient cause.” … The plain language of that statute only empowers a New York court to vacate its own adoption orders, and not those issued in a foreign sovereign nation … . Matter of Child A (Parent M.), 2016 NY Slip Op 08510, 2nd Dept 12-21-16
FAMILY LAW (SURROGATE’S COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ABROGATE OR VACATE A FOREIGN ORDER OF ADOPTION)/SURROGATE’S COURT (FAMILY LAW, ADOPTION, SURROGATE’S COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ABROGATE OR VACATE A FOREIGN ORDER OF ADOPTION)/ADOPTION (SURROGATE’S COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ABROGATE OR VACATE A FOREIGN ORDER OF ADOPTION)/DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW (SURROGATE’S COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ABROGATE OR VACATE A FOREIGN ORDER OF ADOPTION)