Child Welfare Law
Can a Parent Lose their Parental Rights Based on a Procedural Deficiency in their Response to a Petition for Adoption?
Under Utah law, parents have a fundamental right to parent their children. The Utah Termination of Parental Rights Act states: “Under both the United States Constitution and the constitution of this state, a parent possesses a fundamental liberty interest in the care, custody, and management of the parent’s child.” Utah Code Ann. §78A-6-503(1). Typically, a…
Read MoreDoes an abusive, neglectful, or unfit parent automatically lead to termination of parental rights?
Typically, parents who have been through a divorce are able to work together to ensure that their child(ren) are safe, cared for, and able to maintain relationships with each parent. However, in rare instances, a parent will observe that the other parent is either abusive, neglectful, or unfit as a parent in some manner. A…
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