Hearing Date Scheduled!

We heard from our case manager today and our Hearing is Scheduled for April 22nd! We were very happy to hear this.

Our complete dossier was mailed off to Taiwan on March 13th. Once our dossier was received in Taiwan it goes through a review on by the Taiwanese goverment and gets logged into the court system. We then wait for 3 seperate steps/processes in the courts. The first is a Hearing Date. The second is the Civil Ruling(also known as the First Final ruling) and the third is the Final Ruling. The wait time between each step runs between 4-8 weeks. Our dossier went to Taiwan on 3/13 and our hearis is 4/22. With a 39 day wait, that puts us at almost the median wait time.

Though the total wait seems lengthy, we are very appreciative of the thoroughness of the Taiwanese courts. The whole point of the 3 hearings is to make sure that all parties involved are notified of the situation and to make sure the adoption is in the best interest of the child. It's easy to feel "I want my baby home now." Yet, there is great comfort in knowing that this is a very ethical program. As an adoptive parent the last thing in the world you want is anything unethical to happen. So while we wish for things to go quickly, we also want the judge to have all the information and time they need to make the ruling.

What does this all mean? First, it's great to hear that our dossier was reviewed by Taiwan and all our paperwork is o.k. Occasionally, the courts may ask a family for additional medical or finanicial information or they may ask for more pictures. It's nice to know that this phase of our paperchase is done. Second, it gives a better idea of travel. Of course, there is no guarantee and things can go faster or slower. If we continue to have the "average" wait, we'll likely travel mid-August. My instincts tell me we are likely to go the first part of September. I do know if we travel in August we are going to experience extreme heat and high airfare costs due to the Olympics. If we travel in September, we are also likely to find extreme heat and high airfares costs due to students returning to school. Many students in Taiwan come to the US for college. So, in any case, it looks like we need to figure out a way to stay cool and save up some $$$ for airfare. Of course, it goes without saying that no heat or travel costs could ever outweigh the joy of meeting our son! Hang on Andrew, Mom, Dad and Lily are 1 step closer to meeting you!