Opinion ID: 2607111
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: active remedial efforts

Text: Although the beyond a reasonable doubt standard does not apply to subsection (d), the trial court's finding of adequate remedial efforts must be supported by substantial and competent evidence to endure on appeal. The trial court concluded that active efforts were made to prevent the breakup of the Indian family, but had been unavailing. The trial court listed four ways active services were given. First, the adoptive parents' attorneys gave the father notice under I.C. § 16-1513 regarding his right to file a paternity claim for the child and an opportunity to indicate willingness to support the child. The tribe filed a paternity claim on the father's behalf, but the father has never taken any action to support or initiate contact with the child. Second, the mother asked the father to attend counselling with a church social worker before the child's birth, but the father refused. Third, the state of Utah attempted to encourage the father to support his children by initiating a wage withholding for child support, and the father has continued to refuse to pay support. And fourth, an attorney was appointed to represent the father, but over the past four years he has failed to cooperate in any way with his attorney or participate in these proceedings. The trial court then found that: [u]nder the circumstances, those efforts were all that were reasonably available. [The father] consistently and persistently refused and failed to cooperate in any manner with any attempts by any person to provide him with remedial or rehabilitative services and that [sic] any other attempts would have been futile. All remedial and rehabilitative efforts have been totally unsuccessful. This Court must uphold the above finding if supported by substantial competent evidence. We believe it is. Perhaps most telling is the trial court's observation that the father has failed over the past four years to cooperate in any way with his attorney or to participate in these proceedings. We believe that the types of remedial and rehabilitative services to be required under subsection (d) depend on the facts of each case. If the services necessary under the circumstances of this case should be those aimed at preventing dissolution of the legal parent-child relationship, it seems there could be no better services than appointment of an attorney at public expense, and the many hours of attorney time spent by representing the tribe in defending the father's interest. Yet, the father has consistently exhibited indifference. We hold that under the circumstances of this case, the trial court's finding of adequate remedial services is supported by substantial competent evidence.