Logan: Really? You always come.

Since when do you adopt your own kids?

Wow, good point. I totally spaced when she said that.

Finally, Veronica also said that Celeste was opposed to Duncan 'adopting'. Since when do you adopt your own kids?

When you aren't legally the father.

At least in MD, becoming legally a father is a matter for a paternity hearing, not adoption. Once your natural parentage has been established, you sue for custody, not adoption. It is technically possible for a father to adopt his naturally born child, but it would be for the purpose of extinguishing the natural mother's parental rights, which is a moot point here. CA laws might be different.

P.S. Stephanie, in my office it's the attorney who took the bar the most recently that gets all the questions outside of our specialty. Go Bar prep!

Thanks! It's days like today that I really miss the law. It was all I could do not to get all Troxel v. Granville on everyone.

Even putting aside the particulars of who has what burden, I still think Duncan/Veronica's actions were not believeable. Duncan's staying in the Neptune Grand - go stay in a regular apartment and use your money to get custody of your daughter. The best wank I can come up with is that Duncan *thought* he would never get custody and acted accordingly. He's not known for thinking too hard.

It was all I could do not to get all Troxel v. Granville on everyone.

Heh, I remember that case from a grandparent visitation memo I did a few years ago.

Even putting aside the particulars of who has what burden, I still think Duncan/Veronica's actions were not believeable. Duncan's staying in the Neptune Grand - go stay in a regular apartment and use your money to get custody of your daughter. The best wank I can come up with is that Duncan *thought* he would never get custody and acted accordingly. He's not known for thinking too hard.

Well, getting a regular apartment requires an income or a co-signer and generally a lease. Besides, if the Kanes were paying for the hotel room, it's not like he'd have pocketed any money they saved. And Duncan is a bit thought-challenged, but Veronica should have been smarter.

I don't want to play legal smackdown (because I would probably lose) but I was taught that absent unfitness, parents get custody.

I know you meant this, but just to clarify, the "best interest of the child" standard must be qualified by a presumption in favor of the natural parent(s).

I was being too brief in my comments. I was focusing on the point that it's not a certainty that Duncan would get the child. But as you both note, there is a strong presumption toward the natural parent.

WRT VM, the plotline about custody makes little sense. Would have been better if they were more worried about Meg's parents getting even temporary custody and abusing the baby while the custody hearings were going on, but I find that difficult to swallow.

As an alternative, rather than being concerned about Meg's parents abusing the baby, maybe if there was some concern about them taking off with the child if Duncan went to court?

As an alternative, rather than being concerned about Meg's parents abusing the baby, maybe if there was some concern about them taking off with the child if Duncan went to court?

That would have made more sense, but they failed to lay any foundation for going in that direction. I wonder if RT bothered with having any attorney give input on the custody storyline which could have made it tighter/more plausible. My guess is no.

In Re: Time to fake the donuts line...

I figured it was Logan's crass innuendo that Duncan wasn't enough man for Veronica. Maybe "time to make the donuts" is a euphemism for sex, and "time to fake the donuts" is for faking an orgasm. Hey, it's a stretch.

Also? Interesting coincidence: The Duncan Donuts guy who gave us the "Time to make the donuts" line died last Christmas eve.

Next week's opening scene is up.