Q: Can I terminate my daughter's dads rights if he is in jail?
My daughters father has never been involved in her life. He has never paid child support. He is over $10,000 in arrearages. He is currently in jail on drug charges and has warrants all over the place. He has stolen money from me and my family and has a drug addiction. I am not planning on getting married but I want my daughter to have my last name.
A:
There are only two ways to terminate parental rights in Oklahoma. 1) the child is adopted or 2) the state can terminate rights for abuse or neglect in a deprived child case.
If at some point you remarry and want to do a step parent adoption that may be an option.
You could also pursue a name change but would have to give the father notice.
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