In re D.V.

Citations

• 2022 Ohio 4602

Syllabus

PERMANENT CUSTODY - CHILD'S WISHES – COUNSEL - IN RE WILLIAMS ATTORNEY: In a permanent-custody case, the juvenile court did not err in failing to interview the older child to or appoint him independent counsel where the child did not express a consistent desire to live with his mother and where his recent statements indicating that he wanted to live his mother were conditioned on whether mother was still involved with the younger child's father. The juvenile court did not fail to consider the younger child's wishes where the court found that the child was too young to express his wishes and the court considered the guardian ad litem's recommendation because the guardian ad litem was advocating what was in the child's best interest. The trial court did not err in granting permanent custody to the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services where clear and convincing evidence showed that the children had been in the agency's custody for more than 12 months of a consecutive 22-month period and where the trial court considered all the relevant factors and clear and convincing evidence showed that granting permanent custody to the agency was in the children's best interest.