Termination and Adoption
Mar 19, 2015OUTCOME: Mother signs affidavit of relinquishment; adoption granted
Our clients came in to possession of the child two years prior to filing suit. The biological father had placed the child in their care, apparently without the mother's knowledge or consent. I filed ... to terminate parental rights and seek adoption. Given that a trial in such a case can cost in excess of $10,000, I determined I could better serve my clients by attempting to get the mother to agree termination was in her child's best interest. Consequently, I had many phone calls with this mother, listening compassionately to her story, but also firmly reminding her that history cannot be rewritten and that her child had bonded to another family. Knowing many of the key players in these courts, I scheduled us for a mediation with a mediator I respect for her ability to effectively communicate with such clients.
