The trial court properly terminated a mother’s parental rights where 1) the trial court correctly held the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act did not apply, and 2) termination was supported by the evidence and was in the child’s best interests, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services violated the court rules in this termination of parental rights case when, at the father’s request, it did not produce video recordings of interviews conducted with his minor children, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.

The Court of Appeals vacated the order terminating Respondents’ parental rights because the trial court plainly erred by excusing reasonable efforts toward reunification without a proper aggravated circumstances finding.

The trial court wrongly ordered the minor child’s legal guardian to pay some of the respondent-mother’s attorney fees in this proceeding to terminate the respondent’s parental rights and adopt the child, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.

The trial court in this termination of parental rights case wrongly held that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) made reasonable efforts to reunify the respondent-father, who was in federal prison, with his child, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.

The allegation that an extended-stay motel room was “too small” for the respondent-mother to live in with her child and the child’s father was insufficient grounds for terminating her parental rights, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled in a published opinion.

The trial court in this child protective proceeding improperly conducted an in camera interview with one of the respondent-mother’s children, and this error deprived her of due process, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.

The Michigan Supreme Court has vacated a Court of Appeals decision that affirmed the termination of a father’s parental rights, sending the case back to the appeals court for reconsideration after the father files a supplemental brief.

The trial court in this termination of parental rights case correctly held that it was in the minor child’s best interests to terminate the respondent-father’s parental rights, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled in a 2-1 decision.

The trial court in this termination of parental rights case applied the wrong legal framework when assessing the children’s best interests, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.

Because the trial court was not permitted to exercise jurisdiction over respondent-father due to his status as a putative father at the time the petition was filed, it was barred from determining that it was in the best interests of CSA to terminate respondent-father’s parental rights.

The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's order terminating Respondent's parental rights to minor child GM. The Court reasoned that Petitioner, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), failed to create and implement a case service plan for Respondent as required by MCL 712A.18f.

The Court of Appeals affirmed the Trial Court’s decision to terminate the respondent’s parental rights because he failed to assert the child’s Native American or tribal affiliation to the Trial Court and failed to demonstrate that he would be able to rectify his substance-use barrier in a reasonable time considering the child’s age.

A divided Michigan Court of Appeals has affirmed the termination of a mother’s parental rights, with one appellate judge saying the termination order should be reversed because the trial court “clearly erred” in finding that termination was in the children’s best interests.

The trial court’s finding that the termination of the respondents’ parental rights was in the child’s best interests must be “conditionally reverse[d],” the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled, because the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) failed to comply with its statutory duty to investigate relative placements.

The Michigan Supreme Court has vacated part of the Michigan Court of Appeals ruling in In re JMG/JGG/JMG, Minors, remanding the termination of parental rights case and ordering the trial court to “make an individualized best-interests determination as to each child.”

An order terminating the respondent-mother’s parental rights at the initial dispositional hearing must be reversed because the trial court’s analysis was “flawed,” the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.