Why Gary Shirley’s Lawyer Believes Amber Portwood ‘Deserted’ Leah

On Thursday’s episode of Teen Mother: The Subsequent Chapter, Gary met with a lawyer to debate the opportunity of Leah getting adopted by his spouse, Kristina, after his daughter expressed how she desires to be adopted by her stepmom amid her estrangement from Amber.

And in accordance with the legal professional, they’ve “actually case for adoption.”

Earlier than Gary and Kristina went to go to the legal professional, Trina Saunders, Gary shared his ideas and considerations in a confessional.

“With the opportunity of Kristina adopting Leah, I am completely on board. It isn’t as straightforward as signing a test or snapping your fingers; there’s lots concerned,” stated Gary, who was granted full custody of Leah in 2011.

“We’ve to go to courtroom. That places quite a lot of strain on her,” he continued. “After which, what if her mother simply rapidly begins to take her, you understand? It is a pressure on me. It is a pressure on poor Leah. I am not right here to harm Amber, however she should not be right here to harm Leah, both.”

“Any person’s gonna get damage,” Gary added. “And the particular person [who’s] hurting essentially the most proper now could be Leah. I am ensuring my child does not undergo.”

Whereas it was already identified to viewers that Amber and Leah have been estranged, Gary advised the legal professional that Amber has solely seen Leah “4 days” within the “previous 12 months.”

When Saunders requested about baby help, Gary stated that it isn’t “enforced by means of the courtroom,” and claimed Amber is “behind” on funds.

And in accordance with Saunders, within the courtroom’s eyes, Amber’s absence in Leah’s life is taken into account “abandonment.”

“As a result of she’s not had any vital contact along with her mom during the last six months, that is deemed as abandonment,” the lawyer advised Gary and Kristina.

“I believe that adoption could be your only option, as a result of in an adoption that severs that parent-child relationship that she has along with her mom, and you’ll turn into her mom, and also you additionally could be positioned on the beginning certificates as her mom,” Saunders stated to Kristina.

“But when we are able to present that [Amber’s] deserted her daughter, then we do not want her mother’s consent,” she added.

Whereas Gary admitted that he thinks Amber would “contest” the adoption, Saunders famous that she believes that if it went to courtroom, they’d “be capable to present” that Amber has “not been” in Leah’s life, “she’s not offered for her financially, [and] she’s not had vital contact along with her in over six months.”

“I believe you might have a extremely good case for adoption,” she said.

Though Gary admitted that that is “not one thing we wished to do,” he is involved about Leah’s well-being if one thing have been to occur to him.

“I do not see Amber being what Leah wants,” he stated. “I must know that if one thing occurs to me, Leah’s protected.”

The legal professional stated the “timeline” could be about “60 days” to start out the adoption course of.

Later within the episode, Gary and Kristina sat down with Leah, and relayed the knowledge they acquired on the appointment.

Gary stated if “every little thing was to go easily,” the adoption “might take three months.” Nevertheless, he advised Leah that if “Amber contests then it might take like a 12 months, it might take longer.”

“I believe the purpose right here is to ensure you’re wholesome and joyful and brought care of and you’ve got what you need,” Gary stated.

Leah — who turned 16 in November — voiced her concern that Amber might make the method “tougher.”

“By then, it’d take two years, after which at that time, there’s not likely no level even going by means of all the difficulty for it,” she stated.

In a confessional, Leah shared her ideas, admitting that she actually desires Kristina to undertake her, however she’s “scared” of how Amber might react.

“I need to be adopted as a result of Kristina’s been there my entire life,” the teenager stated of her stepmom, who married her dad in 2015. “I imply, I actually need to do it, however I am scared it could make Amber mad. I do not like being imply to folks.”

“However I do not know, I simply really feel prefer it needs to be official, and it is greater than a chunk of paper to me,” she added.

Leah famous her hesitation to her dad and stepmom, earlier than noting that she’s going to “give it some thought” earlier than she decides.

Gary steered that Leah converse to her therapist concerning the scenario to see what might be “emotionally be finest” for her and the “healthiest choice.”

“I do know that your mother loves you,” he stated, “however for some cause, she does not know the right way to present it.”

Gary opened up additional in a confessional, telling the MTV cameras, “If it wasn’t for Kristina being in her life as a lot as she was, Leah would not have a mother. It could be no person.”

Kristina, in the meantime, stated that Leah is “going to weigh her choices” and “resolve what route she desires to go,” stressing that she “will do no matter she desires.”

“Nothing will change the way in which that I like that woman,” she stated, later assuring Leah, “I am not going anyplace. I like you, and I am there for you, and we’ll get by means of it.”

New episodes of Teen Mother: The Subsequent Chapter air Thursdays on MTV.