Opinion ID: 1882329
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the opinion and judgment of the lower court constitutes an abuse of discretion, manifest error, and application of an erroneous legal standard.

Text: ¶ 25. It is undisputed that all parties seeking to adopt the child in this case qualify under the technical aspects of the state's principal adoption statute, Miss. Code Ann. § 93-17-3 (Supp.2000). There is no requirement that the adopting parent be blood-related to the child. The only preferential treatment given to blood relatives under this statute is the waiver of the 90-day Mississippi residency requirement. Since both Jeff and Lori satisfy the statutory requirements, the primary focus of this issue should be the evaluation of the best interest of the child. This evaluation must be accomplished with deference to the chancellor's findings; for, absent manifest error, a chancellor's ruling will not be disturbed on appeal. See, e.g., Murphy, 631 So.2d at 815 (stating that, when substantial evidence supports the chancellor's findings, this Court will not disturb his conclusions, notwithstanding that this Court might have found otherwise as an original matter). ¶ 26. In Natural Mother v. Paternal Aunt, 583 So.2d 614, 619 (Miss.1991), we stated: [T]he pre-eminent concern in cases involving custody of a child is the child's best interest. Ainsworth v. Natural Father, 414 So.2d 417 (Miss.1982); J.C. v. Natural Parents, 417 So.2d 529 (Miss. 1982); Albright v. Albright, 437 So.2d 1003, 1004 (Miss.1983). Factors to be considered in determining the child's best interest are stability of environment, ties between prospective adopting parents and children, moral fitness of parents, home, school and community record of the child. J.C. v. Natural Parents, and Albright v. Albright, supra. ¶ 27. In their brief, the grandparents point to another factor to be considered, quoting with emphasis our statement in Prante v. Beggiani, 519 So.2d 1208, 1212 (Miss.1988):  Kinship is ... a factor to be considered. ... The grandparents cleverly abridged the quoted language of this Court. The unabridged version reads as follows: Kinship is only a factor to be considered and is not determinative of the issue. Id. (emphasis added). Thus, the fact that Jeff is not kin to the child is not sufficient to find him unsuitable as a parent. As stated above, Jeff satisfies the requirements of Miss.Code Ann. § 93-17-3. ¶ 28. In determining what would be in the best interest of the child, the chancellor appears to have considered the factors enumerated above and the recommendations of the experts. It is important here to remember that the chancellor did not award primary custody to Jeff. While Jeff has been granted the right to adopt the child, he has, in effect, been given little more than the visitation rights that would be exercised by a typical divorced father. Therefore, the applicable factors listed above must not be reviewed on appeal solely in regard to Jeff. Indeed, it would be more crucial to analyze those factors in regard to the grandparents, since they have been awarded primary custody of the child and will, no doubt, have the most significant influence on her. We decline such analysis in this appeal, however, since Jeff does not contest the awarding of primary custody to the grandparents. ¶ 29. A review of the record satisfies us that the chancellor did not commit manifest error in determining that the best interest of the child is a joint adoption with primary custody awarded to the grandmother and visitation rights awarded to Jeff. Jeff has admitted a history of drug abuse, including an allegedly expunged drug-related conviction at the age of 19. He has also admitted to past acts of aggression toward the mother. Nevertheless, he has been evaluated by a licensed, experienced, independent court-appointed therapist who was aware of this information and still maintained that he should not be excluded from the child's life. The chancellor agreed with the therapist's opinion. ¶ 30. The chancellor's ruling is sensitive to the fact that the child has experienced significant loss in her lifethe death of her mother. He stated: The Court is deeply concerned and feels most strongly, as does the Court's expert, that this young child does not need to experience any more loss in her life any time soon. As a natural grandparent, Lori would enjoy certain statutory rights should the Court award the adoption to Jeff; however, and most unfortunately, the present state of the law in this area renders the Court powerless to enforce a course of conduct clearly in this young child's best interest, that is, continued contact with the man she regards as her father, should Lori and Derek's adoption petition be granted.... The prevention of further loss and emotional turmoil in [the child's] life is what should be of paramount concern to us all at this point. ¶ 31. Justifying his decision to grant adoption to both Jeff and Lori, the chancellor quoted Justice Banks' separate opinion in Humphrey v. Pannell, 710 So.2d 392, 402 (Miss.1998), where Justice Banks stated, [N]ot all adoptions are `traditional.' The chancellor is in the best position to assess this question with respect to each adoption on a case by case basis. We find that the chancellor in the case sub judice did not commit manifest error in granting this untraditional adoption. This assignment of error is without merit.