Igersheim v. Bezrutczyk

Syllabus

The plaintiff grandmother filed a petition for visitation with her grandchild, the defendant mother's minor child, pursuant to statute (§ 46b-59). A guardian ad litem was appointed for the minor child. The trial court granted the petition, concluding that the plaintiff had proven by clear and convincing evidence that a parent-like relationship existed and that denial of visitation would cause real and significant harm to the minor child. The defendant appealed to this court and claimed that the trial court erred in a number of its rulings. The guardian ad litem claimed on appeal, inter alia, that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to consider the petition. Held: 1. The trial court did not have subject matter jurisdiction over the plaintiff's petition for visitation, as the petition lacked the specific allegations necessary to meet the jurisdictional thresholds of § 46b-59 (b); the plain- tiff's petition did not contain the required specific, good faith allegations of real and significant harm, in that other than a general statement that denial of visitation would jeopardize a relationship with the minor child's grandparents, the petition contained no specific references to harm, much less specific allegations of harm that the minor child would endure if visitation were denied. 2. This court declined to review the defendant's claims, the defendant having failed to adequately brief those claims. Argued February 5—officially released May 26, 2020