I've just recently discovered my now 41 year old daughter has had her stepfathers last name since 1977. I called the circuit court clerk and told them I believe my signature was forged on adoption papers. They quoted privacy laws and suggested I contact a lawyer. I did and I told my story to the lawyer. That I had never signed any papers terminating my parental rights. I paid court ordered child support payments for 15 years. And had visitation, every weekend. The lawter said the cheapest way would be to order a birth certificate from the state (Kentucky). If one arrived in the mail then the step-dad adopted my then 6 year old daughter.. Do I have any recourse in the state of Ky to pursue this matter either criminally or in civil court Thanks for anyone's time in this matter...

Yes, have you reported the fraud to the police and the DA office and perhaps attorney general.

And/or, if adoption went though, then she did fraud, collecting child support after that, and you can sue her for all the money back.

You are unclear, did the birth certificate arrive? Did it show the step father's name?

If so, is there any indication on when it was amended?

Here is the thing, since your access to and relationship to your daughter never changed (I'm assuming based on what you posted), I'm not sure that you were hurt in any way, by this. I think a court will look at it like that. You could try to sue for the return of all support payments after the adoption, but I'm just not sure a court will see it that way.

But before you do anything, you need to find out for sure what was filed and when. While its possible an adoption took place, it should have ended the support order.

As to the court clerk quoting privacy laws, that's BS. A step parent adoption is a matter of public record, not like a full adoption. And, even if it weren't, you were supposedly a party to the action which gives you the right to information about it.