The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the state law that allows a lone birth parent to anonymously drop off a newborn at a hospital, fire department, or other safe space.
An ex-husband argues an adoption agency was too quick to allow a baby’s mother to sign away his parental rights without making a diligent effort to find him.
The child is now three years old.
Michael Villar is the ex-husband’s attorney. Villar said the process has not been fair to his client or the adoptive family.
“Those are both terrible human tragedies, and from our perspective, they could have been overcome, had reasonable efforts been made to find my client and allow him to have his day in court about his parental rights with his child.”
Liisa Speaker is the attorney for the adoptive parents. She said the wrong decision in this case would break apart the only family the child knows.
“Part of the reason it’s fairly complex is because an adoption has already happened. Usually if there is going to be litigation, that’s all going to be happening before an adoption occurs. Here it happened after the fact.”
Briefs are due in late April with oral arguments before the court scheduled for April 27.
