After 22 months, father and daughter reunited

In what may be considered the greatest test of will and mental fortitude one Army Sergeant has ever had to face, he has finally received custody of his daughter after 22 months. In what can only be described as circumstances out of a movie script, the father and daughter will finally be reunited following the latest court appeal.

When the Army Sergeant received orders to transfer bases back in 2010, he and his now estranged wife were having marital problems and she was pregnant with their first daughter (although she had one from a previous relationship). While the Sgt. was away on transfer and awaiting the arrival of his estranged wife and daughter, she was off in Utah beginning the process of putting her child up for adoption after her birth on March 1, 2011, to avoid becoming a single mother once again. All of this was unknown to the father who had tried to get in touch with his estranged wife but was unable to since she disappeared.

About three months following the birth and giving their daughter up for adoption, the Army Sgt. was contacted by his estranged wife and told what she had done. The father immediately intervened to stop the adoption much to the dismay of the adopting couple. In the most recent appeal, the court was taken aback that the adoption agency circumvented the rights of the father in the manner in which it did.

If you find yourself in a situation where your parental rights are being circumvented or you are struggling for child custody, a family law attorney can help. They will be able to guide and assist you through the often complex legal proceedings that lie ahead. They will zealously advocate for your parental rights to be upheld and accommodated to the fullest extent of the law.

Source: NY Daily News, “‘I got my daughter back’: South Carolina military dad reunited with daughter who was put up for adoption without his consent,” Erik Ortiz, Jan. 27, 2013