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Re Shute [2022] NZFC 1783

Published 13 May 2022

Application for adoption — parenting order — reasonable contact — interests of child. Two applicants sought to adopt a young child, who was the biological daughter of the female applicant. The male applicant was the female applicant's husband, the child's biological father having died when the child was very young. The Court had previously granted leave to the family of the child's biological father to apply for a parenting order to ensure that they were still able to be involved in the child's life once adoption was granted. The biological father's family members had since filed for a parenting order allowing them reasonable contact with the child. The Court made a final adoption order in favour of the applicants, finding that this would be in the child's best interests. Judgment Date: 28 February 2022. * * * Note: names have been changed to comply with legal requirements. * * *