Q: Can a mother force a father to give up rights to his child?
Father had been in jail, no visitation rights. Father is out of jail for 2 years now and the mother is taking him to court on May 21st to continue no visitation and try to terminate rights. Father has little money for a lawyer and does not want to give up rights and wants to resume sharing custody.
A: The only way a Court will terminate a parent's parental rights is if there is someone who will be adopting the child in the shoes of that parent. Family Court can enter an Order to hold open placement, but that can be modified based upon a substantial change of circumstances.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
