Widow Gives Up Her Adopted Daughter and Cuts Her Out of the Estate

Christine Svennigsen, a wealthy widow from New York, adopted two Chinese babies. After their adoption, she attempted to place her adopted children up for re-adoption unsuccessfully. Now, Svenningsen has tried to cut her adopted daughter, Emily, out of her estate. Following the death of Svenningsen’s husband, she sent her then 8-year-old adopted daughter “to live with another family and tried to cut her out of her out of the family’s $250 million estate.” The state appeals court rejected her attempts. The court ruled that Emily does deserve a portion of the estate. The son she adopted was re-adopted by another couple soon after she adopted him. Svennigsen claimed that the reason that she placed her adopted children up for adoption was because she could not handle more children. 

Now allegations have emerged that state that Svenningsen used “Draconian” techniques to disclipine her daughter. For example, she used to force her daughter to sleep in a tent if she broke the house rules and that she had behavioral issues. Emily’s new mother, however, countered stating that there is no evidence that Emily had any behavior problems.

See Ashley Lutz, Wealthy Widow Tried Unsuccessfully To Cut Adopted Chinese Daughter Out of Her Estate, Business Insider, Mar. 4, 2013.

Special thanks to Laura Galvan (attorney, San Antonio, Texas) and to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.