NO. 24-5-00679-2
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR THE COUNTY OF PIERCE
IN RE THE ADOPTION OF:
Scarlett Ann Rose Yahraus,
a person under the age of eighteen.
TO: JOHN DOE, Natural Father
TIMOTHY JACOB SMITH, Possible Father
You, Timothy Jacob Smith, have been designated possible father, and you, John Doe, have been designated as the Natural Father, of the above-named child, born on May 27, 2021. A Petition for Termination of Parent-Child Relationship and a Petition for Adoption have been filed in the above-entitled court by Petitioners. The Petitioners are asking the Court for an order permanently terminating the parent-child relationships between you and the child named above, permanently terminating all your rights to the child, so that the child may be adopted by the Petitioners herein. In order to defend this Petition, you must respond to the Petition by stating your defense in writing and by serving a copy upon the Petitioner at their attorney’s office at the address below within thirty (30) days of December 19, 2025. A default order is one where the Petitioners are entitled to what they ask for because you have not responded. If you serve a notice of appearance on the Petitioner’s attorney at the address below, you are entitled to notice before a default order may be entered.
YOUR FAILURE TO RESPOND IN WRITING WITHIN 30 DAYS OF SEPTEMBER 2, 2025, MAY RESULT IN A DEFAULT ORDER PERMANENTLY TERMINATING ALL OF YOUR RIGHTS TO THE ABOVE-NAMED CHILD. You are further notified that any non-consenting parent or alleged father has a right to be represented by an attorney, and an attorney will be appointed for an indigent parent who requests an attorney. You have a right to file a claim of paternity under chapter 26.26 of the Revised Code of Washington. Your failure to file a claim of Paternity under chapter 26.26 of the Revised Code of Washington or to respond to the petition for termination of parent-child relationship which has been filed herein, within thirty (30) days of the date of first publication of this summons is grounds to terminate your parent-child relationship with respect to the child. If the child is an Indian child as defined by the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, 25 U.S.C. 1901 et seq., and if you acknowledge paternity of the child or if your paternity of the child is established prior to the termination of the parent-child relationship, your parental rights may not be terminated unless you give valid consent to termination or your parent-child relationship is terminated involuntarily pursuant to chapter 26.33 or 13.34 RCW. One method of filing your response and serving a copy on Petitioners is to send them by certified mail with return receipt requested.
FILE RESPONSE WITH: CLERK OF COURT
Pierce County Superior Court
930 Tacoma Avenue South, Room 110
Tacoma, WA 98402
SERVE COPY OF RESPONSE
ON:
Attorney for Adoptive Parents
Melvin Law Firm
1105 Tacoma Avenue S
Tacoma, WA 98402
melvinlawfirm@gmail.com
DATED this 16th day of December 2025.
Robert Melvin, WSBA #45249
Attorney for Petitioners/
Adoptive Parents IDX-1024214
December 19, 26, 2025, January 2, 2026
