Rumbold & Seidelman, LLP

11/26/2025

PLEASE SHARE THE NEWS ABOUT THE PASSAGE OF THE NEW YORK FOREIGN BORN ADOPTEE BILL WHICH WILL ENABLE FOREIGN-BORN ADOPTEES TO OBTAIN A NEW YORK BIRTH CERTIFICATE AT ANY AGE. Passage of this bill will make a huge difference in the lives of those adoptees previously unable to obtain a birth certificate either because they were adopted after age 18 or failed to request their birth certificate prior to their 18th birthday. Check out these two short videos - which I previouly posted but which illustrate the hardship foreign born adoptees experienced prior to passage of A-1944. https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FgARJAmL91NI%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExNlJtNE1rSjE5Q2hyMThsTXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6y74FBmtkA-vRnarfJHtKFg_IG1ESp0SG-5XoF1TU0n7iHRpCkpbrHGpII5Q_aem_IuTv9Nuv4DnVtcwneKyD0g&h=AT1UYqPUXi_-qSn4wOXjVKVGV_jQSyCdFqM3En53iPre3p-jfepYu3uwK_dp5sQMwtp5MozhFZiglpjahTvotH13_X1vRt-CLbJxBWlomtdGFtnta9434x2fgp3jhqUEKDZiwmjLo8hqAaJ5DZBslc55HIwy0w&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT3JweM9f-lc7lJXdrF0GyTBl1WgCpGEd8276w4OWW7KIAEihGo4LQJUTTUv77LrrQ_ESKuo0b3ayty3M78rVsy_c4PdfAOym5jr2s2cuPvwBVS-5ZkDoPRZpBvPXSSgLuGlQqoGP5r4Hvo7QFUdbUuXF8_UxHV1toAKgOU4sCGEsIYlUl7ItCAtLenS0L0lCI14EDVGHu3DVQnYced8ot_BdA

Imagine life if you couldn't get a birth certificate! That's the reality for many New York adoptees born outside of the United States. This video explains wh...

11/26/2025

🔊 NEW YORK LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 🔊

Thanks to NYAAFF, and especially Denise Seidelman and Maria-Alana Recine, Senate Bill SS3765 The Foreign Adoptee Birth Certificate Bill was just signed into law by Governor Hochul!

Now foreign-born persons, adopted abroad or domestically by New Yorkers, can obtain a New York birth certificate, regardless of their age. This fixes an inadvertent gap in the prior law which gave that right only to a “child,” i.e. those under the age of 18. As adoption attorneys, we are well aware of the challenges adoptees confront if they cannot prove their identity, particularly in these times. In fact, many foreign-born adoptees have suffered for years because they were unable to obtain a New York Birth Certificate. Please help us to spread the word so that those impacted know that this problem has been corrected. The passage of this legislation also proves that government can and will act responsibly to correct a flaw in existing law.

NYAAFF is proud of the role we play in drafting and gaining passage of this important and impactful legislation.

05/09/2025

Please ask your State Assemblymembers and Senators to support A1944 and S3765 to make a simple fix to existing law so that foreign‑born adoptees can obtain a Certificate of Birth Data (the equivalent of a birth certificate) after turning 18. You'll understand the importance of this legislation if you watch these two very short videos.
Lianne’s Story: https://youtu.be/gARJAmL91NI

Bernice and Joe’s Story: https://youtu.be/lOR5xscyXu4

Melissa

This video explains why it’s so important to allow all New York adoptees born outside of the United States and regardless of their age at the time of the req...

06/17/2024

https://capitolpressroom.org/2024/06/14/smoothing-out-new-yorks-gestational-surrogacy-rules/

06/17/2024

The above link is to a podcast for the capital press room where I discussed the recently passed legislation amending the child parent security act. The legal and fertility rights advocacy communities are thrilled that this bill finally passed the NY senate and Assembly. We’re still waiting for the Governor’s signature but we’re optimistic that her signature will be shortcoming . New York’s parentage laws just got a whole lot better. Thank you Senator Holyman and Assembly member Paulin for your hard work and dedication to this important issue.

06/08/2024

One of the most important provisions in the Clean-up Bill corrected an internal inconsistency in the original Act relating to the residency requirement. The "Clean-up Bill" now clarifies that surrogacy proceedings may be brought in New York if either the Surrogate or the Intended Parent(s) resides in New York. Another important change provides that, where the court has issued a pre-birth order of parentage in a surrogacy proceeding, the hospital birth registrar must name the Intended Parents as the parents on the child's original birth certificate. Finally, the Clean-up Bill made significant changes to the surrogacy insurance provisions/requirements. While those changes are fairly technical, it’s fair to say that those changes will expand insurance options available in surrogacy arrangements. In short, while the original Child Parent Security Act is considered by many in the field to be model legislation, New York’s parentage laws just got a whole lot better. NYAAFF is proud of the role it played in achieving this important goal. Thank you to the strong advocacy of and the tenacious Denise Seidelman who persevered in her efforts to pass this important legislation!

10/11/2023

Check out the new movie trailer for the upcoming documentary "Adoption = Love". I hope you can join us on October 21st for the premier of the documentary "Adoption = Love" narrated by international hip hop star and adoptee Darryl McDaniel of the group Run DMC. The film, which was produced by the New York State Judicial Institute, features adoptive parents, adoptees, and birth parents speaking from the heart about their personal experiences. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion where the participants will add their perspectives and take comments and questions from the audience. As you can imagine, the stories, thoughts, and observations of the various participants in the life-altering process of adoption are extraordinarily moving. The film is a “must see” for anyone experiencing the adoption process or considering it, as well as anyone captured by human experiences. Oh, and I worked with the judicial institute on the film which features many of my clients! Here's a link to the flyer which provides important information, including the evite link where you can register for the film. I hope to see you there. Family Equality

10/05/2023

I hope you can join us on October 21st for the premier of the documentary "Adoption = Love," narrated by international hip hop star and adoptee Darryl McDaniel of the group Run DMC. The film, which was produced by the New York State Judicial Institute, features adoptive parents, adoptees, and birth parents speaking from the heart about their personal experiences. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion where the participants will add their perspectives and take comments and questions from the audience. As you can imagine, the stories, thoughts, and observations of the various participants in the life-altering process of adoption are extraordinarily moving. The film is a “must see” for anyone experiencing the adoption process or considering it, as well as anyone captured by human experiences. Oh, and I worked with the judicial institute on the film which features many of my clients! Here's a link to the flyer which provides important information, including the evite link where you can register for the film. I hope to see you there. Family Equality

This is both an educational opportunity, and an emotional telling across all aspects of the adoption journey. Q&A to follow the movie!

06/11/2023

11/28/2022

As a member of the Emeritus Board of Family Equality I'm hoping you will help me raise money to support the rights of all LGBTQ+ families.

Love. Family. Freedom. It's all on the line.