In the Interest of I.B., a Child

142 So. 3d 919, 2014 WL 3375933
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJuly 7, 2014
Docket5D13-2796
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 142 So. 3d 919 (In the Interest of I.B., a Child) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In the Interest of I.B., a Child, 142 So. 3d 919, 2014 WL 3375933 (Fla. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinions

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

PER CURIAM.

Upon review of the motion for rehearing filed by Jerry A. Blair, we withdraw the previous opinion issued on May 9, 2014, and substitute this opinion in its place.

Blair, in her capacity as the adoption intermediary for the prospective adoptive parents (foster parents), appeals the trial court’s order striking the adoption consent form executed by C.A., the biological mother (mother). Determining that there is insufficient evidence in the record to support the trial court’s finding of duress, we reverse. However, we remand this matter for the trial court’s consideration of whether there is any other basis for invalidating the adoption consent at issue.

I.B., the minor child, was removed from the custody of his parents and placed in foster care. During a status hearing, the biological parents advised the trial court that the parents were proceeding with a private adoption by the child’s paternal aunt. Following that hearing, the foster care liaison was approached by the maternal grandmother and a maternal aunt regarding the possibility of having the foster parents adopt the child, saying that the mother did not want the child to be adopted by the paternal aunt. Subsequently, the foster care liaison was informed that the mother agreed to consent to adoption by the foster parents. As a result, at approximately 10:00 one evening, the liaison and a notary went to the jail where the mother was being housed to obtain her signature on an adoption consent form. The mother signed the consent form, but it was later determined that the consent form was invalid because it was not properly executed. A different notary then went to the jail to obtain the mother’s execution of a second consent form. The mother signed the second consent form.

Thereafter, Blair filed a petition to terminate the mother’s parental rights and an adoption petition on behalf of the foster parents. The consent form signed by the mother was attached to the petition. The paternal aunt’s intermediary responded by filing a motion to strike the mother’s consent form. The mother thereafter adopted the paternal aunt’s motion to strike her consent.

The trial court held an evidentiary hearing on the motion to strike. During the hearing, the mother testified that, on the night she signed the first consent form, her attorney was not present and she did not know that the liaison and notary were [921]*921visiting her on behalf of the foster parents. According to the mother, she was told it was going to be an “open adoption,” but the intermediary did not explain to her what that term meant. The mother understood the term to mean that “anybody can come in and adopt [her son].” When asked if she had an understanding about whether she would have visitation rights, the mother replied “no.” She further testified that she did not understand what she was signing; however, she understood the documents would terminate her parental rights and would allow her child to stay permanently with the foster parents and that, if the foster parents did not choose to allow her to have visitation with her son, there was nothing she could do about it. The mother testified that no one explained what the consent meant, she was not provided a copy of the consent form, and no one advised her of her right to revoke her consent within three days of its execution. The mother further testified that she felt pressured by her family to agree to allow the foster parents to adopt her son. When asked about her execution of an affidavit of intent to work with Blair, the mother testified that she did not understand that she had already signed the first consent form to work with the foster parents. She testified that she read through the affidavit, but did not understand that she was agreeing to work with the foster parents. When asked whether she asked her attorney any questions about the affidavit, the mother replied “yeah, but she didn’t want to answer no questions.” She said that her “lawyer didn’t explain anything to me.”

The mother was questioned about her execution of the second consent form by the paternal aunt’s adoption intermediary, Attorney Christine Arendas:

[ARENDAS]: [Mother], do you recall the people that came for the signature on the second consent, the January 26th consent?
[MOTHER]: My lawyer was there and there was people on the other side of the glass [who] wanted me to sign it. [ARENDAS]: Do you know who those people were?
[MOTHER]: No.
[ARENDAS]: Do you know if they had any affiliation with Ms. Blair? [MOTHER]: No.
[ARENDAS]: Did they actually meet with you in person?
[MOTHER]: No, ma’am.
[ARENDAS]: Did they speak with you? [MOTHER]: No, ma’am.
[ARENDAS]: Did they explain what you were signing to you?
[MOTHER]: No, ma’am.
[ARENDAS]: Did you understand what you were signing at the time? [MOTHER]: I felt like I was pressured, so I just signed away.
[[Image here]]
[ARENDAS]: And you felt pressure from your family?
[MOTHER]: Yeah.

Arendas then questioned the mother about what induced her to sign the consent forms for the foster parents:

[ARENDAS]: So, you felt like you were being pressured into signing? [MOTHER]: Yes.
[ARENDAS]: Would you have signed but for the promise that you would see your son?
[MOTHER]: Could you repeat that again?
[ARENDAS]: Would you have signed consents for [the foster parents] to adopt your son but for the promise that you would see him again?
[[Image here]]
[MOTHER]: Oh, no.
[922]*922[ARENDAS]: Okay.
[MOTHER]: I want the promise. [ARENDAS]: ... I just want to make sure we’re all clear here. Because of the promise that you would be able to see him again, you agreed to sign the consents?
[MOTHER]: Yes.

According to the mother, she was not provided with a copy of the second consent form, and again she was not advised that she had three days in which to revoke her consent. She testified that her lawyer was present at the signing of the second consent form, but counsel did not provide assistance to her. Counsel told the mother to “just sign the consent paper.”

Next, the mother testified about a subsequent meeting between herself, her attorney, and Arendas. During this meeting, the three reviewed the first and second consent forms. Arendas explained to the mother each of the statutory disclosure items. She also explained that the mother had a three-day right of revocation, that Florida does not allow open adoptions per se, and that the foster parents could deny the mother visitation after she executed the consent form. The mother did not recall any of those items being explained to her by the foster care liaison and/or the notaries. The mother acknowledged previously agreeing to adoption by the paternal aunt, and she said she changed her mind due to pressure from her family.

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142 So. 3d 919, 2014 WL 3375933, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-ib-a-child-fladistctapp-2014.