Pro Bono
A Fresh Start For A Teenager
"Joe,” a 16-year-old living with his aunt and uncle since his mother died tragically in a car accident when he was 5, was doing well in high school and decided to try out for a sports team. In doing so, he was required to provide a copy of his birth certificate. What the relatives discovered when they secured his birth certificate was that the child’s mother, shortly before she died, had legally changed the child’s last name to one not common on southern playgrounds. Once the name change became known to school administrators, they required Joe to begin using the unusual name, which prompted some rather cruel teasing from his classmates. Joe’s grades dropped, and he began having disciplinary problems.
Nelson Mullins attorneys in 2007 were asked to assist in getting Joe’s birth name restored. During the process, it became apparent Joe had never been legally adopted nor had the unknown father’s parental rights terminated. Nelson Mullins attorneys assisted with all three issues, allowing Joe to get back his name. Additionally, attorneys worked with the school board to get Joe transferred to another high school so he could have a fresh start. The teasing has stopped, his grades have improved, and Joe is self-confident and happy again with his adoptive parents.
