Today is the day my little Elizabeth becomes a Fritz! During our first adoption, we did not need to attend court. This time was different. I wanted to be able to see what happens in the courtroom. I also wanted to be able to see her before court to help with the visa process. If you do not see a child you are adopting before court, you are typically granted a IR4 visa. This means you will have to readopt when you get home. If you see the child before court, you should get an IR3 visa and when the child enters the US he or she will be an American citizen right away and you do not need to readopt.
Nii picked us up at 8:30a.m. He drove us to the courtroom and when we went inside we took a seat on long wooden benches. The courtroom filled up very quickly. People wanting their cases to be heard, must come first thing in the morning and then their cases will be called. Some people wait all day for their case to be heard. Nii shared that adoption cases for the judge we were waiting to see usually went first. Luckily after waiting only a few hours, due to the fact that the judge was late, we were called second. We went back into the judges chambers with Nii, the attorney, and the social welfare worker. Everything went very well. The proceeding lasted only about 10 minutes. The judge granted us a full and final adoption. From this day forward in the eyes of Ghana law, she is now know as Elizabeth Ofori Fritz. Now on to the embassy process. Although, first we need to wait for the holiday weekend to pass. Just as a sidenote, when attending court with a child, bring water, snacks, and a little something to keep them occupied. The wait can be long and very hot.
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