Sidley recently secured a favorable ruling on a contested stepparent adoption petition in a New York City Family Court. The petitioner, the child’s stepfather, who had been raising, caring for, and supporting the child since birth, filed a petition to adopt the child and make official the reality of his paternal role in the child’s life. Upon notice of the petition, the child’s biological father (who had been absent from most of the child’s life) appeared at the petition hearing to challenge the adoption. The Court appointed counsel to the biological father and gave him an opportunity to be heard at a second hearing. The Court ultimately found that the adoption was in the best interest of the child and granted the adoption petition for our client, the only father the child had ever known, permitting the family to begin, officially, a new chapter in their life together.
The case was referred by Mobilization for Justice, Inc., whose mission is to ensure that no New Yorker is denied equal access to justice. Mobilization for Justice, Inc. provided helpful guidance throughout the representation.
The team included Maeghan Murphy, Kristina Gliklad, and Martin Sigalow.