Chancery judge grants adoption for 14-year-old Aleah Raye Page; GAL backed placement

Judge David D. Wolfe granted a contested adoption for 14-year-old Aleah Raye Page after hearing testimony that she has lived with William and Michelle Page since she was 5 and that the guardian ad litem recommended the placement as being in the child’s best interest.

The judge signed an order authorizing the adoption after the Pages and Aleah testified and the court received evidence that the biological parents had not provided visitation or financial support in the months before the petition. William Page told the court the family filed the petition on Jan. 18, 2024; the Pages and the guardian ad litem, Andrea Craig, presented certified records and a report supporting the adoption.

Why it matters: The chancery-court adoption will give Aleah the same legal rights as a biological child, including inheritance and parental authority, and will formalize caregiving arrangements the Page family said have been in place for years.

During the hearing the judge asked Aleah whether she understood the proceedings and whether she wanted the adoption to proceed; Aleah answered in the affirmative. The judge addressed the family directly, saying, “you have the opportunity to choose your parents,” and described the adoption as a way to put a legal stamp on an existing family relationship.

Court testimony and filings showed Aleah has lived with the Pages since age 5 and that the biological parents had not exercised visitation or provided support during the relevant four‑month window the petition relied on. The guardian ad litem’s report, which the judge reviewed in court, concluded the adoption served Aleah’s best interests.

The judge asked counsel to submit a final decree formalizing the adoption and granted the petition that day; the court also invited the family to take a photograph in the courtroom. The Pages told the court they would prepare and file the final decree as directed.

What the record shows: The petition was filed Jan. 18, 2024; Aleah is 14; the Pages assert continuous caregiving since age 5; the GAL report supports adoption. Specific records of the biological parents’ criminal history and certified copies of those records were mentioned in court and considered in evaluating the best-interest factors.

Next steps: Counsel for the petitioners will submit the final decree for the judge’s signature to complete the legal adoption process.