Madison County chancery session grants adoptions, terminates parental rights, approves estate sale and issues multiple family-law orders

A Madison County chancery court on Friday granted two adoptions, approved a default termination of parental rights in a separate case, authorized a $530,000 sale of a decedent’s home and appointed an administrator for another estate, while several family-law disputes were resolved by agreed orders and temporary parenting plans.

The judge granted an adoption for a 13-year-old identified in court as Jacob after asking the prospective parent his name and explaining the legal consequences of adoption, saying the adoption would make the adoptive parents Jacob’s legal parents "the same as if he was born to you." The court invited the family for photographs after the order was signed.

In a separate default proceeding, counsel asked the court to terminate the parental rights of a respondent named in filings as Zachary Summers after he failed to file an answer. A witness for petitioners (Gracie Monroe) testified that the respondent had not had contact with the child and had not provided support; the judge found by "clear and convincing evidence" that termination was appropriate and granted the petition. Petitioners asked that an adoption hearing be set and the court scheduled a follow-up adoption hearing for March 23.

The court also reviewed an adoption petition for a child identified in court as Scarlett and granted the petition for Mr. and Mrs. Cedar Roth, telling the parents that after adoption the stepfather would "be her father the same as if she was your biological child." The judge signed the adoption order and concluded formalities in court.

On probate matters, the court approved an agreed order to sell a decedent’s property, which counsel said contracted above asking price for $530,000, and directed counsel to lodge sale proceeds with the clerk and master pending resolution of guardianship and child-support claims. The court also opened the estate of Janice Mumford and appointed Craig Neely as administrator, waiving bond and inventory bond.

Several family-law motions were resolved by agreed orders announced in court. Counsel described a package of agreed relief that included orders on vehicle registration renewal, return of business equipment, appraisal of real properties, pendente lite child support, temporary parenting time and a protective order; the court accepted the agreed orders and set mediation and follow-up dates for a limited number of unresolved matters.

The court granted a motion to withdraw by counsel in a case where a defendant was listed as "absconded" on the Tennessee offender registry and allowed that case to proceed without the respondent. Another matter was reset because counsel questioned the adequacy of service on a defendant (named in filings as Nicholas Alejandro Oliver); the court set a new hearing date of March 31 and directed counsel to obtain an affidavit from the serving officer if needed.

In a default divorce matter, the judge found grounds of inappropriate marital conduct and granted the divorce on default, awarded personal property to the petitioner and restored her maiden name to Stephanie Diane Martin. In court testimony the petitioner said, "He lied a lot. He cheated a lot," as part of the account supporting her request for relief.

The court made an in-court temporary parenting schedule an enforceable order where parties announced a shared residential schedule and indicated the child's counseling needs and weekday/weekend exchanges. The judge emphasized that parties bound by such an announced agreement are accountable to the court.

The session concluded with the judge noting the early finish of business and adjourning court for the day.

Next steps and scheduling: the court set an adoption follow-up hearing for March 23 in at least one matter, mediation and additional hearings for unresolved family-law matters, and a service-validation hearing for March 31 in the matter involving the disputed service on Nicholas Alejandro Oliver.