Opinion ID: 1169302
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: SUBSECTION (iii) VALIDITY OF THE OBJECTIONS

Text: The next factor which the district court must consider under § 1-22-108(c) is the validity of the contesting father's objections. In this case, the district court found that appellant's objections were invalid, and we agree. First, the court pointed out that appellant's stance was essentially defensive because he was trying to prevent the adoption. Yet, appellant produced no evidence that the quality of the relationship between [RG] and the minor child was anything but satisfactory. Second, the district court found that appellant had willfully abandoned the child by failing to visit him for 20 months prior to the trial. The finding of abandonment was an important factor in determining the validity of appellant's objections and would have independently supported the court's decree if the court had chosen to apply § 1-22-110(a)(iii), W.S. 1977. Appellant argues that the court was required to find that the abandonment was willful by clear and convincing evidence before it could grant the adoption. This argument misses the mark, primarily because willful abandonment was just a factor in the court's analysis under § 1-22-108(c)(iii). The abandonment finding did not make or break RG's case for the adoption. Also, appellant has cited no applicable authority requiring the clear-and-convincing-evidence standard. He refers us to DS v. Department of Public Assistance and Social Services, Wyo., 607 P.2d 911 (1980), a case in which the State sought to break up a natural family under the termination of parental rights statutes, §§ 14-2-308 through 14-2-319, W.S. 1977 (Cum. Supp. 1985). That case does not apply here where the putative father has never been in the same household with the child; where the termination will cement an ongoing family relationship between the child and its natural mother; and where the termination occurs through the adoption statutes rather than the termination of parental rights statutes. Finally, the clear-and-convincing-evidence standard would not have affected the result in this case even if it applied. The evidence was overwhelming that appellant willfully abandoned the child. In abandonment cases willfully means intentionally, knowingly, purposely, voluntarily, consciously, deliberately, and without justifiable excuse, as distinguished from carelessly, inadvertently, accidentally, negligently, heedlessly or thoughtlessly. Matter of Adoption of CCT, supra, 640 P.2d at 76. Appellant did not visit his child for 20 months prior to the trial although he knew the location of the child at all times. He never tried to establish his paternity through legal process and never attempted to be a father to the child in any substantial way. In summary, the district court did not abuse its discretion when it found a good relationship between the child and the adopting stepfather and when it found that appellant had willfully abandoned the child and was, therefore, in a poor position to object to the adoption. The court correctly held that appellant had no valid objections to the adoption.