Domestic Relations – Adoption – Fraud – Civil Practice – Appeals – Transcript

Graham v. Keith (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-16-0814, 7 pp.) (Donna S. Stroud, J.) Appealed from New Hanover County District Court. (Jeffrey E. Noecker, J.) N.C. App. Unpub. Click here for the full-text opinion.

Holding: Where G.S. § 48-2-607(c) provides a legal route pursuant to which adoption may be set aside for fraud, and where the trial court determined that the underlying adoption was void for fraud under § 48-2-607(c), we reject defendants’ argument regarding public policy favoring the finality of adoptions.

We affirm the trial court’s order setting aside defendants’ adoption of plaintiff’s daughter.

Where defendants’ arguments on appeal focus on specific statements made during the hearing, but where the defendant-appellants did not include a transcript in the record on appeal, we are unable to conduct a meaningful review of defendants’ argument on appeal.