Steven Sterner wrote in a message to All:
SS> I have just come up with an interesting question that I don't think
SS> has ever been addressed in this echo.
SS> If an adoptee happens upon information regarding a b-parent what are
SS> the ramifications of using such information?
That would depend upon what information the adoptee has come into posession 
of, how he/she came into posession of that information, and how he/she plans 
to (or actually) uses that information.
If an adoptee goes through the court system (i.e., obtains court orders) to 
obtain information, then they would not be as legally liable as if they had 
obtained that same information through deceit, lieing, etc. But that would 
still not prevent the person whom the information was about from suing the 
adoptee because it happens to be Thursday.  Because of all too many people's 
over-egerness to file a law suit over miniscule differences of perspective 
over any issue, one can never be absolutely sure that they will not be sued 
because they obtained and used some information.
The other aspect of the matter is how the adoptee would use the information 
they obtained.  It may be possible to obtain some information completely 
legally, and use that information to obtain more information legally, and 
never need to divulge any of that information (or the source of that 
information to the person it is about.
SS> Ok perhaps I better explain this a little better. As many of you
SS> know I met my h-sister/b-father this past spring. Since then I have
SS> come into my original adoption papers (I won't say 'where' I got
SS> them) and some other identifying information regarding my b-mother.
SS> If/when I  decide to finally use this information are there
SS> reprecusions that  could come about from using this info?
It would totally depend on how you were to use the information you have 
obtained.  If you were to come right out and tell your b-parents what you 
obtained and how and then go on to tell them how you used that information to 
locate them, they might be just a bit irritated.
To some degree, the advice given when facing any auditors in any field is 
probably very true even here - "Answer qhestions truthfully and never 
volunteer any information."
Suould you wish to discuss this further, I would be more than happy to do so 
via Netmail so as to keep information that does not need to be "seen" by the 
lurkers out of the open view...
Michael Kirst
f/k/a Christopher Lee Backus
Sysop of The Noble House BBS
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