South Carolina Adoption Court Cases

South Carolina Court Case: Adoptive Parents v. Biological Parents
The potential adoptive parents (hereinafter adoptive parents) are residents of the State of New York, while the biological parents were residents of South Carolina at the time of the child's birth. n1 The adoptive parents were specifically selected by the biological parents, and both sets of parents spent time together during at least the last two weeks of the pregnancy. There is also evidence that the adoptive parents were present in the...


South Carolina Court Case: Bowles v. Bradley
On August 1, 1959, Elliott White Springs (Springs) created an irrevocable trust (the 1959 Trust or the trust). The terms of this trust provided that the income from the trust would be paid to an eleemosynary corporation for a certain number of years, after which the trust corpus would be split to form individual trusts for seven of his grandchildren. Each of the grandchildren would receive the income from his or her trust...


South Carolina Court Case: Doe v. Clark
The appellant, Wylanda Clark, an unwed twenty-two year old, signed a Consent/Relinquishment Form on January 25, 1994, purporting to release her parental rights prior to the birth of her child. The baby was born on January 30, 1994. Prior to leaving the hospital on January 31, 1994, Clark signed a hospital form consenting to an adoption and authorizing the hospital to deliver the infant to the attorney representing...


South Carolina Court Case: Doe v. Brown Jr.
The critical issue in this case is whether the father of a child, conceived as the result of father's statutory rape of the mother, has any parental rights to that child? The family court first held the father had no rights, and therefore he need not consent to the child's adoption nor be given notice of the adoption proceedings. Alternatively, the court held that this Father had not complied with the statutory requirements...


South Carolina Court Case: Social Services v. Earles
Mother is the biological mother of two children, a boy, Sylvester Earles, born July 1, 1987, and a girl, Latisha Earles, born November 12, 1988. The first report concerning this family was made on June 3, 1988 to DSS. This report was unfounded. On November 14, 1988, a second report was made to DSS (1988 incident). This report was indicated n2 and an in-home treatment plan was implemented. On March 7, 1989, the children...


South Carolina Court Case: Hooper v. Suttles
After further investigation by the Fairfield County Department of Social Services (DSS), a family court judge in May 1991 granted an ex parte request by DSS to take Candice Suttles and her twin sister Shannon Suttles, both age six, and Christopher Perry, age nine, into emergency protective custody. The children had injuries that were inconsistent with the explanations offered by appellant or her boyfriend at the time...


South Carolina Court Case: Hagy v. Pruit
Elizabeth was born on August 25, 1991, two days after Misty turned sixteen. Misty and Stan, the baby's eighteen-year-old father, were not married but they were living with the Pruitts at the time of Elizabeth's birth. On December 6, 1991, Misty and Stan signed adoption consent forms allowing the Pruitts to adopt Elizabeth. The forms were filed December 12. The next day, Don Pruitt gave his written consent...


South Carolina Court Case: Joiner v. Social Services
The Court of Appeals vacated the family court's order terminating respondent's parental rights. Joiner ex rel. Rivas v. Rivas, 335 S.C. 648, 518 S.E.2d 51 (Ct. App. 1999). Although all three judges agreed respondent's substantive arguments were without merit, n5 the majority held the family court erred in failing to appoint an independent guardian ad litem for Alex in the termination proceedings and that such...


South Carolina Court Case: Doe v. Queen and Roe
This is an adoption case. Respondents, the Does, sought to adopt Baby Boy Tanner contending the biological father's, Travis Queen's, consent to adoption was not required; alternatively, they sought termination of Queen's parental rights. The family court held Queen's consent to adoption was necessary and denied termination. A two-judge majority of the Court of Appeals reversed, finding Queen's consent to adoption unnecessary...


South Carolina Court Case: Doe v. Ward Law Firm
The Does adopted Child by Order of the Spartanburg County family court on December 23, 1983. Child has experienced a host of medical ailments including both physical and mental problems. Within the first months of Child's life he began experiencing respiratory difficulties which persist to this day. Doctors have diagnosed Child with a cyst located on his brain...


South Carolina Court Case: Social Services v. Cummings
Paula Cummings gave birth to a daughter, Alexia Nickola Bruce. Paula and the baby tested positive for cocaine while in the hospital. Though grounds for removal, the Family Court permitted the baby to remain with Paula because there was an adult in Paula's home, Terry Bruce, who was willing to assume the role of father and initially appeared suited to help care for Alexia...


South Carolina Court Case: Alley v. Boyd
Mother and Father were married in June of 1994. They are the natural parents of Christopher Steven Boyd, Jr. (Child), born January 12, 1995. Mother and Father separated in June or July of 1995. In March of 1996, they consented to give custody of Child to Eric and Jill Alley. n1 The family court approved an agreement granting the Alleys custody with reasonable visitation for the natural parents...

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