Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights

January 5th, 2022

Supreme Court reverses denial of grandfather adoption: finds adoption more stable than custody

The January 5, 2022, Supreme Court opinion in Swain v. Bollinger, 435 S.C. 280, 866 S.E.2d 923 (2022), reversed a family court and Court of Appeals’ denial of a termination of father’s parental rights and granted maternal grandfather his request for adoption. In Swain, Grandfather, after learning his daughter and the child’s father were using […]

Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights

September 26th, 2021

In apparently close decision, Supreme Court reinstates termination of parental rights/adoption

On September 22, 2021, a unanimous South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated a family court’s granting of a termination of parental rights (TPR)/adoption in the case of Stasi v. Sweigart, 434 S.C. 239, 863 S.E.2d 669 (2021). The primary issue in dispute was whether the Mother’s infrequent visitation between December […]

Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights

November 6th, 2019

South Carolina Supreme Court holds family court improperly denied foster parents’ requests to intervene in removal cases

In the November 6, 2019, case of Cooper v. SCDSS, 428 S.C. 402, 835 S.E.2d 516 (2019), the South Carolina Supreme Court found that the family court had improperly denied Foster Parents’ requests to intervene in DSS removal actions. The two sets of Foster Parents at issue had placement of Mother and Father’s three children […]

Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights

May 9th, 2018

Supreme Court reinstates termination of father’s parental rights and authorizes foster parent adoption

The May 9, 2018 Supreme Court opinion in SCDSS v. Smith, 423 S.C. 60, 814 S.E.2d 148 (2018), reverses a 2017 Court of Appeals opinion, terminates father’s parental rights, and authorizes the foster parents to adopt the minor child at issue. This case is extremely fact intensive but to summarize: at the time this child was conceived […]

Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights

March 21st, 2018

Supreme Court authorizes collateral attack on adoption due to significant procedural irregularities

N.B. the opinion discussed below was subsequently slightly modified. See Supreme Court issues slightly modified opinion in Ex-Parte: Carter. The phrase Kafkaesque is an overused cliche but sometimes it’s apt. That is the situation described in the March 21, 2018 South Carolina Supreme Court opinion of Ex Parte: Carter. While Ms. Carter may be full of […]

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