So I was minding my own business the other day when I saw a FaceBook (tm) message. It was from an old high school mate named Jodi -- never knew her well, certainly haven't spoken in over 40 something years, but she friended me awhile back. She said she knew I was a lawyer -- could I help her out?
She proceeded to tell me a tale beyond any soap opera. Sadly, it involves her now grown daughter, who by all accounts, has been a disaster her whole life. She's now 32. The issue is she was engaged to a nice fellow, who Jodi and her husband truly like, and she broke it off after she became pregnant. No problem, said the boyfriend -- he was still most excited about fatherhood.
Not so fast. The daughter went to the hospital to give birth, and told the baby daddy and her parents the baby was terribly sick, and had to stay in the NICU for months. Turns out -- that was a lie -- the baby girl was fine -- new Mom was working with a lawyer to give the baby up for adoption -- and claimed she had no idea who the father was.
Well -- turns out the baby WAS adopted -- in December - by a rich NYC couple. When the baby daddy and grandparents found out -- they hired a lawyer to try to dissolve the adoption, and return the child to her natural father. The judge dismissed the Petition -- apparently there's something called a Putative Father Registry, in which a potential Dad has to register to protect his rights. Based on this Dad's failure to register -- Paternity Petition denied!
So Jodi and her family were looking for someone to handle the appeal -- the lawyer they hired to file the Petition doesn't do them. Of course, the three paragraphs in which I just described this don't come close to relating Jodi's grief and horror -- all told in a classic Long Island accent of my youth.
I called my friend Mike. He asked his partner Jason, who handles big divorces. Jason said the guru of Family Law appeals is a woman in the Gables named Laura. I called her. Since Miami is a big city/small town -- Laura remembered me -- she had been in our house when Wifey used to run jewelry sales years ago.
I could tell right away Laura was a maven. She asked me about the Dad's ability to pay. I told her he was a cop --- but that was between her and her potential clients. I haven't heard back -- so don't know whether my referral was worthwhile. I hope it was.
So yesterday D1 came over with the beautiful grandson. I thanked her for not being a total disaster and giving up the baby for adoption behind everyone's back. She said I was welcome.
But seriously -- just when you think you've heard about family dysfunction -- you haven't heard it all. I feel for my old classmate. I hope she gets to see her granddaughter again -- I could tell she was truly bereft.
Wifey and I sure would be if we couldn't hand with our little man...
In more pedestrian news, I woke today fully convinced it was Monday. I dragged the trash container to the curb, and then realized mine was the only one. I looked at my phone -- nope -- I was a day off. It's funny how some days just sort of feel like they're other days of the week. I guess the loose schedule of the plague times has contributed to that as well.
As for today, if asked what's new, I'd answer the way my Dad did: "Not a thing -- just the way I like it."
Good luck to Jodi and her family.
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