D. A. Z. v. M. E. T.

CLEMENS, Judge.

Natural father has appealed from a decree of adoption. The petitioners are the child’s mother and her present husband whom she married in 1971. The defendant-father did not expressly consent to the adoption and the issue before us is whether he constructively did so by wilfully abandoning or neglecting the child by failing to provide proper care and maintenance “for a period of at least one year immediately prior to the filing of the petition for adoption.” This critical period was from June 1972 to June 1973. The trial court found for petitioners and decreed adoption.

The…