Domestic Relations – Parent & Child – Neglect – Reunification Efforts Cessation

In re G.T. (Lawyers Weekly No. 010-001-18, 1 p.) (Per Curiam) Appealed from Buncombe County District Court (Ward Scott, J.) On appeal from the Court of Appeals. N.C. S. Ct.

Holding: We affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals’ majority (Since the applicable version of G.S. § 7B-901(c)(1) only allowed the trial court to direct that reunification efforts were to cease if the trial court found that a “court of competent jurisdiction has determined that aggravating circumstances exist …”, the trial court could not rely on its own finding of aggravating circumstances in the same dispositional order as a basis to direct that reasonable reunification efforts should cease.).