Thurnwald v. A.E.

On Certification from the Utah Court of Appeals.

DURRANT, Justice:

INTRODUCTION

11 By statute, an unwed father must, in order to preserve his paternal rights, file a paternity petition in court and register a notice of that petition with the Department of Health.1 These documents may be filed before the child's birth, but must be filed before the mother consents to adoption or relinquishes the child to an adoption agency.2 The mother is required to wait twenty-four hours after the child's birth before consenting to adoption or relinquishing the child.3 Thus, the typical unwed father is allowed a…