Long, Complex Legal Journey Sees Happy Ending
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
It has been a long journey of custody battles and tears leading up to Tiffany's adoption. However, Tiffany can now legally call Tom and Shari, Pierceton, her dad and mom.
Tiffany's private adoption was legalized Feb. 13 at the Kosciusko County Justice Building in Warsaw. Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer legalized the adoption.
"Legalizing adoptions are one of the best things about being a judge. Foster parents have special crowns and we need more of them," Huffer said.[[In-content Ad]]John D. Barrett, attorney at law, represented the family during the adoption.
"The case was very difficult because it involved multiple jurisdictions including the states of Florida, Indiana and Ohio," Barrett said.
"We are very pleased with the result. It is not often in this business that there is a feel-good conclusion. In this case, the system worked perfectly and the client was pleased with the result," Barrett said.
Tiffany's biological parents died in May 2007. Her biological mother, Tammy, was found dead on a boat in Florida, and her biological father, Paul, died the same month from a neurological disease.
Tammy is Shari's sister and Tom is Tiffany's uncle by marriage. Tiffany has a half brother, Tim, 7, and half sister, Trinity, 6, who live in Florida. She said she keeps in contact with both of the siblings.
The Churches started the adoption process in 2007 and have had legal joint custody of Tiffany for the past two years.
Tiffany said she knew the adoption was final Feb. 13 after she hit Huffer's gavel and signed consent papers at the justice building.
"I was glad to get the adoption finalized. I have been waiting for so long and it finally came around," Tiffany said.
To celebrate the adoption, the family plans to get rings made with each other's birthstones and have their names engraved in the rings.
Shari said she promised Tammy, who is eight years younger than her, that if anything happened to Tammy she would care for Tiffany.
"I have loved Tiffany for years as my sister's daughter, and she will always be my sister's daughter, but since Tammy is not here to be her mom, that's why I thought I need to be," Shari said.
Shari said she feels she can keep the memory of her sister alive through Tiffany, and tells Tiffany stories of her mother as a child.
Tom and Shari have two grown children from Thomas' marriage, Lisa, 32, and Josh, 30. They previously have been foster parents on and off to eight children in their home. Tom and Shari said they plan to adopt more children one day, but are glad to call Tiffany their daughter.
"The reason I wanted to become a foster parent was because I want to give back to kids what was given to me," Shari said.
Shari was placed in foster care from age 15 to 17 and she lived in a home with 15 foster children, but was not adopted.
Tiffany had been living with her biological grandmother in Florida off and on when her biological parents were still alive and after they passed away. She also lived in Iowa with Shari's brother before living with the Churches.
Tiffany said when she lived in Florida, she moved around a lot to different schools and that was hard on her, but she now calls Indiana home.
"I always call it saving Tiffany because she's now stable and happy," Tom said. "She went from living in Florida, Iowa, to Indiana."
The Churches drove to Iowa in June 2007 and were required to prove to the courts Tiffany was biologically related to the couple. Thomas and Shari were granted joint custody of Tiffany Sept. 15, 2007, and brought her to Indiana with them.
The Churches said they went to Iowa five times and went through legal trials to get custody of Tiffany. Shari's brother had temporary custody of Tiffany, but the courts revoked his custody.
Shari said the judge in Iowa ruled since Shari's brother was put up for adoption 40 years ago, and he was not blood-related to Tiffany, that he had no legal rights to her.
Tiffany lived with Tom and Shari for two years under their legalized custody before adopting her Feb. 13.
"We had custody of Tiffany in two different states, Iowa and Indiana, but since we got custody in Indiana we had to transfer records from Iowa to Indiana to keep the full custody here in Indiana because you can't have custody of a child in two different states," Tom said.
Tiffany has plenty of activities to keep her busy as an eighth-grader at Whitko Middle School. She is involved in choir and Future Farmers of America. She said she also is considering joining 4-H.
Her dream is to attend Purdue University and get a veterinarian degree after she graduates college and looks forward to driver's training.
She saw her snow for the first time last winter in Indiana, and went deer hunting with her cousin Sam Meck, Monoquet, for the first time in Indiana last fall.
Sam and his wife Amy have become Tiffany's godparents.
Tiffany said she also enjoyed a trip to Lake Michigan with her cousin, Courtney Whetstone, Portage, last summer.
Tiffany said she has lots of friends and enjoys swim parties and ice skating in the family's pond behind their home and attending the family's Fourth of July fireworks display.
Tiffany has a life book she keeps to remember her biological family in Florida and experiences in Indiana. It is filled with family photos, choir concert programs and notes from her friends.
Tom and Shari said it was important to have the adoption finalized.
"The adoption brought closure for us and gives a sense of belonging. Tiffany has a stable family with us and we love her and she loves us," Tom said.
"We knew it needed to be done so we could all sleep soundly at night knowing she is in a safe place," Shari said.
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It has been a long journey of custody battles and tears leading up to Tiffany's adoption. However, Tiffany can now legally call Tom and Shari, Pierceton, her dad and mom.
Tiffany's private adoption was legalized Feb. 13 at the Kosciusko County Justice Building in Warsaw. Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer legalized the adoption.
"Legalizing adoptions are one of the best things about being a judge. Foster parents have special crowns and we need more of them," Huffer said.[[In-content Ad]]John D. Barrett, attorney at law, represented the family during the adoption.
"The case was very difficult because it involved multiple jurisdictions including the states of Florida, Indiana and Ohio," Barrett said.
"We are very pleased with the result. It is not often in this business that there is a feel-good conclusion. In this case, the system worked perfectly and the client was pleased with the result," Barrett said.
Tiffany's biological parents died in May 2007. Her biological mother, Tammy, was found dead on a boat in Florida, and her biological father, Paul, died the same month from a neurological disease.
Tammy is Shari's sister and Tom is Tiffany's uncle by marriage. Tiffany has a half brother, Tim, 7, and half sister, Trinity, 6, who live in Florida. She said she keeps in contact with both of the siblings.
The Churches started the adoption process in 2007 and have had legal joint custody of Tiffany for the past two years.
Tiffany said she knew the adoption was final Feb. 13 after she hit Huffer's gavel and signed consent papers at the justice building.
"I was glad to get the adoption finalized. I have been waiting for so long and it finally came around," Tiffany said.
To celebrate the adoption, the family plans to get rings made with each other's birthstones and have their names engraved in the rings.
Shari said she promised Tammy, who is eight years younger than her, that if anything happened to Tammy she would care for Tiffany.
"I have loved Tiffany for years as my sister's daughter, and she will always be my sister's daughter, but since Tammy is not here to be her mom, that's why I thought I need to be," Shari said.
Shari said she feels she can keep the memory of her sister alive through Tiffany, and tells Tiffany stories of her mother as a child.
Tom and Shari have two grown children from Thomas' marriage, Lisa, 32, and Josh, 30. They previously have been foster parents on and off to eight children in their home. Tom and Shari said they plan to adopt more children one day, but are glad to call Tiffany their daughter.
"The reason I wanted to become a foster parent was because I want to give back to kids what was given to me," Shari said.
Shari was placed in foster care from age 15 to 17 and she lived in a home with 15 foster children, but was not adopted.
Tiffany had been living with her biological grandmother in Florida off and on when her biological parents were still alive and after they passed away. She also lived in Iowa with Shari's brother before living with the Churches.
Tiffany said when she lived in Florida, she moved around a lot to different schools and that was hard on her, but she now calls Indiana home.
"I always call it saving Tiffany because she's now stable and happy," Tom said. "She went from living in Florida, Iowa, to Indiana."
The Churches drove to Iowa in June 2007 and were required to prove to the courts Tiffany was biologically related to the couple. Thomas and Shari were granted joint custody of Tiffany Sept. 15, 2007, and brought her to Indiana with them.
The Churches said they went to Iowa five times and went through legal trials to get custody of Tiffany. Shari's brother had temporary custody of Tiffany, but the courts revoked his custody.
Shari said the judge in Iowa ruled since Shari's brother was put up for adoption 40 years ago, and he was not blood-related to Tiffany, that he had no legal rights to her.
Tiffany lived with Tom and Shari for two years under their legalized custody before adopting her Feb. 13.
"We had custody of Tiffany in two different states, Iowa and Indiana, but since we got custody in Indiana we had to transfer records from Iowa to Indiana to keep the full custody here in Indiana because you can't have custody of a child in two different states," Tom said.
Tiffany has plenty of activities to keep her busy as an eighth-grader at Whitko Middle School. She is involved in choir and Future Farmers of America. She said she also is considering joining 4-H.
Her dream is to attend Purdue University and get a veterinarian degree after she graduates college and looks forward to driver's training.
She saw her snow for the first time last winter in Indiana, and went deer hunting with her cousin Sam Meck, Monoquet, for the first time in Indiana last fall.
Sam and his wife Amy have become Tiffany's godparents.
Tiffany said she also enjoyed a trip to Lake Michigan with her cousin, Courtney Whetstone, Portage, last summer.
Tiffany said she has lots of friends and enjoys swim parties and ice skating in the family's pond behind their home and attending the family's Fourth of July fireworks display.
Tiffany has a life book she keeps to remember her biological family in Florida and experiences in Indiana. It is filled with family photos, choir concert programs and notes from her friends.
Tom and Shari said it was important to have the adoption finalized.
"The adoption brought closure for us and gives a sense of belonging. Tiffany has a stable family with us and we love her and she loves us," Tom said.
"We knew it needed to be done so we could all sleep soundly at night knowing she is in a safe place," Shari said.
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