For many of us midnight on December 31st rings in new resolutions and a sense of excitement for the upcoming year.  In New Jersey this year the New Year will ring in new rights for adults that were adopted as children prior to August 1, 2015.  Significant changes in New Jersey’s adoption laws will now let adult adoptees request information from the State of New Jersey about their birth parents, including their original birth certificate. This information was not previously available to them if they were adopted in a closed adoption.  While this change in the law is wonderful news for those who are searching for answers about their birth and where they come from, it can be frightening for birth parents who believed their identity would never be revealed.  As with most family law issues there is fine balance to be reached in assuring that everyone is treated fairly.  For birth parents who do not wish for their identity to be revealed they have until December 31, 2016 to file forms with the State of New Jersey requesting no contact from the adopted child and redacting the child’s birth certificate to remove any information that identifies them as the birth parent.  If you or anyone in your family has questions about the upcoming changes in the adoption privacy rules and the record system for birth parents contact one of our experienced attorneys at IANDOLI & EDENS (908) 879-9499.