Supreme Judicial Court of Maine
Adoption by Joseph R.
July 2, 20242024 ME 47
Summary
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court vacated the York County Probate Court’s dismissal of the petitioners’ adoption, name‑change, and parental‑rights termination petitions and remanded for further proceedings. The Court held that 19‑A M.R.S. § 1658(1‑A) does not divest the Probate Court of subject‑matter jurisdiction over termination petitions filed as part of an adoption proceeding, interpreting the statute’s plain meaning in the context of the broader statutory scheme and legislative history.