Most adoption records, and some court adoption records are held by Oranga Tamariki. You can request these records from Oranga Tamariki without a court order
Learn how to request adoption records from Oranga Tamariki.
Unlike other court records, the Courts of New Zealand (the courts) usually require a Court Order if you want to request court adoption records from them.
You do not need a court order to request court records from other government agencies or organisations that hold them.
The court will only make the Court Order when:
For example, you can request access to court records about an adoption if you are:
In your application for court adoption records, include:
Learn how to request court records.Requesting court records can be difficult and bring up a range of emotions. You may want to seek legal support or find support from support and advocacy groups to help you through this process.
To apply for a Court Order to see court adoption records, please contact your local courtopen_in_new and ask them for the forms you need to fill in.
If you visit the court in person, court staff may be able to help you fill in the form. If you have access to a lawyer, they can help you fill in the forms.
Please be aware that there are no set or standard forms, and each court may have different forms you need to fill in. Once you have filled out the forms, you can provide them to your local court in person, by post or by email.
Learn more about requesting court adoption records.
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