Hallford v. Smith

Petitioners, mother and her husband, appeal from a judgment that set aside husband’s adoption of mother’s child because respondent, the putative father, did not receive notice of the adoption proceedings. We reverse.

In February, 1987, mother, then 18, became pregnant. In March of that year, she told respondent, who was then 17, that he was child’s father but that she did not want to marry him. Later that month, she ended their relationship and began seeing husband. Shortly thereafter, respondent left the area, but called mother twice during the pregnancy.

Child was born on November 7, 1987.…