In K.B. v. M.F., Grandmother filed a complaint for visitation rights to her two minor twin grandchildren, who were twelve years old at that time. Mother appealed the order entered by the trial court, which adopted a hearing officer’s report and recommendation that Grandmother be granted visitation rights to the children. The Pennsylvania Superior Court vacated and remanded. The Court concluded that the trial court abused its discretion in denying Mother’s exceptions to the hearing officer’s report and adopting the hearing officer’s recommendation without conducting an independent review to determine whether the findings and recommendations were appropriate. The Court also ruled that the trial court erred in denying Mother’s exceptions to the hearing officer’s report and recommendation when the hearing officer denied Mother’s request to hold the matter open to allow the children to testify as to their wishes concerning Grandmother’s petition.
