In re Nan FF.
This case concerns an appeal from an order of the Family Court of Otsego County which dismissed an adult adoptee's application to unseal her adoption records. The petitioner sought access to the records based on medical need, as per Domestic Relations Law § 114 (4). However, her application was denied because she failed to provide a certification from a licensed New York physician. Additionally, the submitted letters from an out-of-state social worker and physician did not sufficiently indicate that access to the records was "required" to address a serious illness, nor did they identify the specific information needed, thus failing to establish prima facie good cause under the statute. The appellate court affirmed the Family Court's dismissal of the application.