In re James G.

McGRAW, Justice:

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services (the “Department”) filed a Petition for Finding of Abuse and/or Neglect and/or Abandonment against a mother, eventually seeking the involuntary termination of her parental rights with respect to her two children. As the termination proceedings neared them end, the mother offered to execute a voluntary relinquishment of her parental rights, to which the Department refused to agree. The lower court held that because the Department did not agree to the mother’s voluntary relinquishment, the court was obliged to rule on the…