J.T.J. v. N.H.

84 So. 3d 1176, 2012 WL 1108514, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 5186
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedApril 4, 2012
DocketNo. 4D11-19
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 84 So. 3d 1176 (J.T.J. v. N.H.) 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
J.T.J. v. N.H., 84 So. 3d 1176, 2012 WL 1108514, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 5186 (Fla. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

WARNER, J.

Appellant, the biological father of the child, G.H., appeals the trial court’s dismissal of his petition to establish paternity on the ground that G.H. was born during the mother’s marriage to another man, thus raising the presumption of legitimacy for G.H. Appellant claims, however, that he is entitled to an evidentiary hearing to determine his standing to bring this petition. We agree and reverse.

The mother of the child, N.H., was married to E.R. at the birth of her child, G.H., in March 2009, although E.R. is not listed as the father of G.H. on the birth certificate. Instead, the certificate states “mother refuses information on husband.” Because G.H. tested positive for marijuana and cocaine at birth, he was placed in the custody of DCF, and N.H. and E.R. each signed a surrender of their parental rights as to G.H.

By November 2009 the Department filed a case plan for G.H., which acknowledged that appellant was the alleged biological father of G.H. However, the case plan indicated that appellant’s “whereabouts are unknown at this time,” and that DCF was “conducting a diligent search.” At that point, G.H. was placed in a pre-adop-tive foster home, as the mother and E.R. had signed surrenders. The case plan had a termination of parental rights and an [1178]*1178adoption goal date of January 4, 2010. No petition for termination of parental rights was filed.

On May 28, 2010, appellant filed a verified petition to determine paternity and for related relief, claiming to be the father of G.H., born more than a year prior. In the petition, appellant alleged that he is G.H.’s biological father and that a DNA test positively identified him as such. He claimed that he: “met with the team overseeing [G.H.’s] welfare ... and the appropriate social workers and the guardian ad litem to [G.H.], to prepare a transition plan so that [G.H.] could move into [appellant’s] home and full time custody ... ”; “has been working on establishing a relationship with his child through visitation with [G.H.], as often as is practicable ... ”; has prepared a home for G.H.; has held a DCF home visit; has submitted necessary DCF paperwork for custody; and has filed paperwork with the Florida Putative Father Registry. Appellant acknowledged that N.H. and E.R. signed paperwork surrendering their parental rights on the date of G.H.’s birth and placing G.H. in DCF custody.

E.R. filed an answer to appellant’s petition, admitting that he was married to N.H. on the date of G.H.’s birth, that he is not the biological father of G.H., and that DNA evidence shows that appellant is the biological father. He does not have a relationship with the child, nor does he want one. He admitted that appellant’s petition for paternity should be granted. In November 2010, N.H. filed a motion to dismiss the Chapter 742 paternity action with prejudice, arguing that appellant cannot file a paternity action for a child born in an intact marriage and that appellant’s consent to the adoption of G.H. is not required. She also filed an affidavit attesting that appellant is the biological father of G.H. She otherwise discredited appellant, stating that he has several felony convictions, was completely unsupportive of her throughout the pregnancy, and did not come to G.H.’s birth, even though she called him and told him she was delivering. He refused to provide her with financial support.

The former foster parents, who wanted to adopt G.H., moved to intervene in the paternity proceedings, which motion was objected to by appellant, DCF, and the guardian ad litem. However, the former foster parents withdrew their motion to intervene in favor of the court ruling on the mother’s motion to dismiss the paternity proceeding.

At the hearing on the motion to dismiss, no evidence was taken. N.H.’s attorney argued that appellant lacked standing to bring the paternity suit. Appellant’s counsel argued that appellant had the right to rebut the presumption based on his efforts to establish a relationship with G.H. DCF, the guardian ad litem, and the licensed foster care agency in charge of G.H. all sided with appellant. In rebuttal, N.H.’s attorney argued that appellant was “required to show he has manifested a substantial concern for the welfare of his illegitimate child before he may be appointed standing to assert an interest with respect to that child.”

In dismissing the case with prejudice, the trial court relied on the presumption of legitimacy of G.H. because he was born during the marriage of his mother and E.R. Because of this strong presumption, the court found that a petition for paternity was not available to appellant to establish his fatherhood. Relying on Dep’t of Health & Rehabilitative Servs. v. Privette, 617 So.2d 305, 309 (Fla.1993), the court quoted:

“there must be a clear and compelling reason based primarily on the child’s best interests to overcome the presump[1179]*1179tion of legitimacy even after the legal father is proven not to be the biological father ... [t]hus, if a test shows that [a man other than the child’s legal father] is the child’s biological father, this fact without more does not constitute grounds to grant a paternity petition.”

Appellant’s DNA test alone did not constitute grounds to grant his petition. Appellant appeals this order.

In Dep’t of Revenue ex rel. Garcia v. Iglesias, 77 So.3d 878, 879 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012) (citing Lander v. Smith, 906 So.2d 1130 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005)), we held that our standard of review was de novo. “ ‘In assessing the adequacy of the pleading of a claim, the court must accept the facts alleged therein as true and all inferences that reasonably can be drawn from those facts must be drawn in favor of the pleader.’” Lander, 906 So.2d at 1132 (quoting MEBA Med. & Benefits Plan v. Logo, 867 So.2d 1184, 1186 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)).

Chapter 742, Florida Statutes (2010), governs determination of parentage. Section 742.011 provides the basis for the circuit court’s jurisdiction over a party:

Any woman who is pregnant or has a child, any man who has reason to believe that he is the father of a child, or any child may bring proceedings in the circuit court, in chancery, to determine the paternity of the child when paternity has not been established by law or otherwise.

(emphasis added). Chapter 742 “provides the primary jurisdiction and procedures for the determination of paternity for children born out of wedlock.” § 742.10(1), Fla. Stat.

There is a strong presumption “that a man married to the biological mother is in fact the legal father of the child. This presumption is one of the strongest rebuttable presumptions known to law and is based on the child’s interest in legitimacy and the public policy of protecting the welfare of the child.” G.T. v. Adoption of A.E.T., 725 So.2d 404, 410 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999) (citing, inter alia, Privette, 617 So.2d 305). Nevertheless, the presumption is not conclusive and may be overcome with “clear and compelling reason based primarily on the child’s best interests.” Privette, 617 So.2d at 309 (emphasis added).

In Kendrick v. Everheart, 390 So.2d 53 (Fla.1980), the supreme court carved out a means of rebutting the presumption to establish standing:

The fact remains, however, that the unwed father is not in all respects similarly situated with the unwed mother or the married father.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
84 So. 3d 1176, 2012 WL 1108514, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 5186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jtj-v-nh-fladistctapp-2012.