Springfield, MO asked in Family Law and Juvenile Law for Missouri

Q: How does my baby's biological dad voluntarily sign over his rights? And can my boyfriend adopt my baby?

I live in Missouri. My baby's biological father left me after I found out I was pregnant and has a new girlfriend. We were only together a few weeks. My baby is 5 months old and at his request we did a paternity test. He has still not met his baby or paid child support and Now he is wanting to sign over his rights as father. I'm for that because he is not a good person. My boyfriend now is also considering adopting him but we need legal advice first and not sure how to go about all this. Can I terminate bio dad's rights without an adoption and if so what do I need to do?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Lydia Seifner
Lydia Seifner
Answered
  • Juvenile Law Lawyer
  • Springfield, MO
  • Licensed in Missouri

A: The only way to terminate a biological parents are with an adoption. However, unless there is a court order regarding custody, an unwed father does not have any rights to his children, so if you want to merely keep the child away from him, you do not have to do anything; so long as he does not file for a legal father-child relationship.

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