Why would a birth parent sign a waiver?
No attorney who has the birth parent’s interest at heart would advise a birth parent to sign the waiver. It is completely unnecessary, since the consent becomes permanent in 30 days anyway. It is only detrimental to the rights of the birth parent. Birth parents do voluntarily sign the waiver, under pressure to make the adoptive parents feel secure. They are told that it would hurt the adoptive parents’ trust in them if they don’t sign. Or that they will feel closure knowing that their decision is final. This, of course, is all ridiculous. But most birth parents do not have their own attorney, and are advised against accepting the only protection the state of California offers them (and their child). Adoptive parents, their attorneys, agencies and facilitators generally try to get the birth parent to sign the waiver as soon as they can to shorten the 30 day period. This happens as soon as a representative from the State Department of Health and Human Services can be available to witness
