Opinion
Case No. 2D19-2560
07-17-2020
In the INTEREST OF P.L.H., a child. Jeanne T. Tate, Esq., and S.A.C., Appellants, v. C.O.W., Appellee.
Jeanne T. Tate of Jeanne T. Tate, P.A., Tampa, for Appellant Jeanne T. Tate, Esq. Amy U. Hickman of Hausmann and Hickman, P.A., Boynton Beach, for Appellant S.A.C. Katie Jay of Katie Jay, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for Amicus Curiae Florida Adoption Council. Madonna M. Finney of The Law Office of Madonna M. Finney, Tallahassee; Mark D. Fiddler of Fiddler Osband, LLC, Edina, Minnesota; and James B. Outman of Hester Outman LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, for Amicus Curiae The Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, Inc. Jean Marie Henne of Jean M. Henne, P.A., Winter Haven; and Anthony Marchese of Anthony B. Marchese, P.A., Tampa, for Appellee.
Jeanne T. Tate of Jeanne T. Tate, P.A., Tampa, for Appellant Jeanne T. Tate, Esq.
Amy U. Hickman of Hausmann and Hickman, P.A., Boynton Beach, for Appellant S.A.C.
Katie Jay of Katie Jay, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for Amicus Curiae Florida Adoption Council.
Madonna M. Finney of The Law Office of Madonna M. Finney, Tallahassee; Mark D. Fiddler of Fiddler Osband, LLC, Edina, Minnesota; and James B. Outman of Hester Outman LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, for Amicus Curiae The Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, Inc.
Jean Marie Henne of Jean M. Henne, P.A., Winter Haven; and Anthony Marchese of Anthony B. Marchese, P.A., Tampa, for Appellee.
PER CURIAM.
Jeanne T. Tate, Esq., the adoption entity, and S.A.C., the mother, appeal from an amended final judgment dismissing their petition for the termination of the parental rights of C.O.W., the unmarried biological father, pending the adoption of the child. Because the trial court's reservation of jurisdiction over "any further action relating to these parties or the minor child" is overbroad in this case, we reverse that portion of the amended final judgment and remand for vacatur of that language in the reservation-of-jurisdiction provision. Because competent substantial evidence supports the court's significant factual findings and the adoption entity and the mother have not demonstrated that the court otherwise abused its discretion or reversibly erred as a matter of law, we affirm in all other respects without discussion. See N.A.G. v. J.L.G., 198 So. 3d 1025, 1028 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016) (reviewing a trial court's abandonment determination under chapter 63, Florida Statutes (2015), we explained "[t]his court must determine if the trial court's ruling is supported by competent substantial evidence, and our review of the trial court's termination order is highly deferential").
Affirmed in part; reversed in part; remanded.
CASANUEVA, ROTHSTEIN-YOUAKIM, and SMITH, JJ., Concur.