Several years ago, in a state outside Illinois, a child was removed from the custody of her mother because the mother was deemed incompetent by the court due to drug problems. A married couple took the child in as foster parents. Since then, a situation has developed involving the child’s biological father who was recently released from prison and is now fighting for child custody.
In 2013, the biological mother signed an agreement for her daughter to be adopted. The foster parents finalized that adoption in 2015. They are the only parents the 3-year-old little girl has ever known.
Back then, when the child was a mere three weeks old and the biological father was in jail, the court removed his paternal rights, stating the father had failed to do even the minimum to establish a parent/child relationship. However, an attorney now representing that man says that is not true. The court has reversed its decision, and a highly emotionally charged, contentious battle for custody has erupted.
The biological father’s attorney said he sent financial support to the child through his own mother. In fact, he apparently even tried to have the child placed with his mother while he served his prison sentence. The adoptive parents, on the other hand, say the court had already removed his rights and they have raised the child almost her entire life.
It remains to be seen how this case will play out in the courts. Understandably, any child custody dispute can be very stressful for all involved. For those in Illinois facing similar issues, an attorney could help make sure the best interests of the child in question are kept as a main focus and a client’s rights are protected throughout all court proceedings.
Source: CBS, “Emotional custody battle for South Carolina adoptive family“, Feb. 7, 2017
