Court allows 'Octomom' to maintain control of finances

By Correy Stephenson The Daily Record Newswire 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman will maintain control over her children's finances, a California appellate court ruled earlier this month, dismissing a request for the appointment of an independent guardian. After giving birth to eight babies in January 2009, Nadya Suleman set off a firestorm of controversy when the public learned the unemployed single mother already had six children and was receiving state benefits such as food stamps. Former Disney Mouseketeer turned child advocate Paul Peterson filed a petition in California state court seeking a court-appointed lawyer for the octuplets to monitor the finances they will be earning from a reality television series they are set to star in. A trial court judge granted the petition, but an appellate court stayed the decision pending review. Earlier this month, it reversed the denial of Suleman's motion to dismiss the petition. "The petition should have been dismissed because Petersen has neither pleaded ultimate facts demonstrating Suleman has engaged in any financial misconduct, nor alleged any other information warranting court intervention in the Suleman family's finances. "For these reasons, Petersen has no standing under [state law] and, even if he did, his petition is insufficient to survive a motion to dismiss. "This is an unprecedented, meritless effort by a stranger to a family to seek appointment of a guardian of the estates of the minor children. "The petition's allegations are insufficient to infringe on a parent's civil rights or to rebut the presumption under California law that a parent is competent to manage the finances of his or her children. "There is nothing in the petition that shows that the best interests of the children in the management of their finances are not being served by Suleman," the court said. Published: Mon, Feb 22, 2010

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