In re J.M.P.
Supreme Court of Louisiana
528 So.2d 1002 (La. 1998)
Dawn B., 18 and unmarried, surrendered her newborn for adoption to James and Laura P. (plaintiffs), a financially secure couple, after her mother and stepfather refused to help raise the child; Dawn revoked her consent within the statutory 30-day window. The trial court found Dawn's surrender wasn't signed under duress despite her family's pressure, then held a best-interests hearing and awarded custody to James and Laura based primarily on their traditional family structure and secure finances; the court of appeal affirmed, and Dawn appealed.
Whether resolving a private custody dispute between a child's natural and adoptive parents requires a court to weigh each party's fitness to be the child's parent, each party's psychological relationship with the child, and the natural parent's biological relationship with the child.