What Is The Process For Terminating Parental Rights?

Question:

My daughter’s biological father and I never married. He is willing to terminate his parental rights without contest. How do we proceed with having his rights terminated?

Answer:

I am not licensed to practice law in your state. Therefore, I cannot inform you as to the specific laws of your state and can only provide you with general information concerning parental rights.

First, understand that if the father is allowed to terminate his parental rights, you are also giving up the right to receive child support from the father in the future.

Second, the court will want to know why you want his rights terminated and why he is willing to terminate his parental rights. Courts do not usually allow fathers to terminate their parental rights if their purpose is to get out of paying child support. However, if you want you have your daughter adopted by your current spouse and want the father’s rights terminated in order to facilitate that adoption that is something the court is willing to consider.

You can file a petition for termination of parental rights with the court and the father can execute a voluntary termination of parental rights and file it with the court to get the process started.

Remember, I am unable to provide you with anything more than general parental rights tips, so please consult a domestic litigation attorney in your area to obtain specific advice as to the laws in your state and how they impact your circumstances.

To arrange an initial consultation to discuss divorce rights for men with a Cordell & Cordell attorney, including Utah divorce lawyer Dena L. Morgan, contact Cordell & Cordell.