Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 93 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS (§§ 93-1-1 — 93-31-7) › Chapter 17 - ADOPTION, CHANGE OF NAME, AND LEGITIMATION OF CHILDREN (§§ 93-17-1 — 93-17-307) › Article 1 - IN GENERAL (§§ 93-17-1 — 93-17-31) › Section 93-17-6 - Petition for determination of rights in proposed adoption of natural child; service of process in the adoption of a foreign born child

(1)
Any person who would be a necessary party to an adoption proceeding under this chapter and any person alleged or claiming to be the father of a child born out of wedlock who is proposed for adoption or who has been determined to be such by any administrative or judicial procedure (the "alleged father") may file a petition for determination of rights as a preliminary pleading to a petition for adoption in any court which would have jurisdiction and venue of an adoption proceeding. A petition for determination of rights may be filed at any time after the period ending thirty (30) days after the birth of the child. Should competing petitions be filed in two (2) or more courts having jurisdiction and venue, the court in which the first such petition was properly filed shall have jurisdiction over the whole proceeding until its disposition. The prospective adopting parents need not be a party to the petition. Where the child's biological mother has surrendered the child to a home for adoption, the home may represent the biological mother and her interests in this proceeding.
(2)
The court shall set this petition for hearing as expeditiously as possible allowing not less than ten (10) days' notice from the service or completion of process on the parties to be served.
(3)
The sole matter for determination under a petition for determination of rights is whether the alleged father is the natural father of the child based on Mississippi law governing paternity or other relevant evidence.
(4)
If the court determines that the alleged father is not the natural father of the child, he shall have no right to object to an adoption under Section
93-17-7
.
(5)
If the court determines that the alleged father is the child's natural father and that he objects to the child's adoption, the court shall stay the adoption proceedings to allow the filing of a petition to determine whether the father's parental rights should be terminated pursuant to Section
93-15-119
, or other applicable provision of the Mississippi Termination of Parental Rights Law.
(6)
If a petition for the termination of parental rights is filed and, after an evidentiary hearing, the court does not terminate the father's parental rights, the court shall set the matter as a contested adoption as provided in Section
93-17-8
.
(7)
A petition for determination of rights may be used to determine the rights of alleged fathers whose identity is unknown or uncertain. In such cases the court shall determine what, if any, notice can be and is to be given those persons. Determinations of rights under the procedure of this section may also be made under a petition for adoption.
(8)
Petitions for determination of rights shall be considered adoption cases and all subsequent proceedings such as a contested adoption under Section
93-17-8
and the adoption proceeding itself shall be portions of the same file.
(9)
Service of process in the adoption of a foreign born child shall be governed by Section
93-15-107(4)
.
Laws, 2002, ch. 533, § 2; Laws, 2005, ch. 426, § 2, eff. 7/1/2005.
Amended by Laws, 2016, ch. 431, HB 1240, 20, eff. 4/18/2016.