In the Matter of the Adoption of N.j.b.

Summary

The Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed the trial court’s order allowing the step‑mother to adopt the three children without the biological mother’s consent. The Court held that the trial court abused its discretion by ignoring federal stimulus payments credited to the mother’s child‑support debt and that the record did not show the mother willfully failed to comply with the support order for twelve consecutive months. Accordingly, the adoption without consent was reversed and the case remanded for the trial court to deny the adoption without consent.