Every adoptee beginning a search is hoping that their search will be quick and easy and that there will be no snags. Is this possible? Sometimes. But more often than not, a search takes quite a bit of time and effort until its completion.
To be quite honest, there is not any real answer to this question. There is no length or period of time that can be provided to anyone.
However, there are several factors that can provide for a quicker more relaxed search.
Organization
Being as organized as you can during this time, is important. Keeping track of calls and paperwork, and letters and correspondence of any kind is truly important. Having to dig around or search for something you know you have, takes precious valuable time, and can delay a search or stop it dead in its tracks. Maintain a search notebook through your entire search and this will help eliminate any problems with organization.
Information Availability
Obviously the more information you have on your adoption, the more paperwork you possess, the easier and faster a search is going to go. Requesting information from various agencies is important, because most of it contains pieces connected to your search.
Adoptive Parent Cooperation
This is a big one. The more cooperative adoptive parent, is going to speed your search along much faster than one who turns their back. If they are holding onto information, providing it to the adoptee is a vital key in the whole process. If your adoptive parents are willing to help, they probably have possession of documents and other materials you might need in your search. My adoptive parents had my original relinquishment papers, and this was they key to the entire search. It contained two names that were challenging to locate, but we were able to!
There are of course, many other factors that will play a role in how speedy your search is. However, if you want an answer to how long it takes to search, you aren’t going to find it here.
Patience is a virtue, and as the good old ketchup commercial states: “Good things come to those that wait!”