Termination and adoption — MCQs

Using only the supplied file and legal resources, prepare an objective memorandum assessing whether Alex Reed's consent to the proposed adoption is required or may be dispensed with. Address the statutory grounds, Alex's conduct before and after the child's birth, the applicable burden and procedural protections, the strongest counterarguments, and the next step that best advances the clients' adoption objective without risking an invalid decree.

Using only the supplied file and legal resources, prepare a negotiation-oriented counseling plan for Alex Morgan that evaluates the likely relocation dispute, identifies realistic settlement priorities and concessions, and proposes a parenting arrangement suitable for presentation at mediation.

Using only the supplied file and legal resources, prepare an advisory email recommending whether the firm should proceed with the scheduled adoption finalization hearing, contest Rowan's attempted revocation of consent, or pursue another available course. Address the validity of consent, the timeliness and grounds for revocation, best interests, and the practical risk to the proposed adoption.

Using only the supplied client file and legal resources, draft a persuasive prehearing brief opposing the petition to terminate Devon's parental rights. Argue whether the petitioner can prove a statutory ground and best interests, address the adverse facts candidly, identify any notice or service defect, and request an appropriate disposition or less drastic interim measure.

During a 12-year marriage, a spouse inherited $120,000 and deposited it into an account maintained solely in that spouse's name. The spouse later used $80,000 from that account as the down payment on a residence titled jointly to both spouses. Mortgage payments came from marital earnings, and both spouses substantially renovated the residence on weekends, increasing its value. In the ensuing dissolution proceeding, the inheriting spouse argues that the residence is entirely separate property because the down payment can be traced to the inheritance. Under generally accepted equitable-distribution principles, which of the following is the strongest conclusion?

A client tells a lawyer that eight months ago a court entered a default paternity judgment naming her former partner as the legal father of her newborn child, after the partner failed to respond to a paternity petition. The client now says another person may be the biological father and wants to have the judgment set aside. The jurisdiction's rule provides that a default paternity judgment may be vacated within one year after its entry for excusable neglect, fraud, or newly discovered evidence, with the moving party bearing the burden of proof. After that period, the judgment is final and enforceable absent extraordinary circumstances. The lawyer has not yet obtained the judgment or confirmed its entry date. What is the most appropriate next step?

When a child was born, the child's mother and her partner signed and filed a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage. The jurisdiction's statute provides that a filed acknowledgment has the effect of a parentage judgment. It may be rescinded by a signatory within 60 days; afterward, it may be challenged only for fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact, subject to the child's best interests. Three years later, another person filed an action alleging that genetic testing would establish that he is the child's biological father. He did not allege fraud, duress, or mistake. The acknowledged parent has lived with and supported the child since birth. The alleged biological father asks the court to disregard the acknowledgment and order immediate testing. What is the most appropriate next step for the court?