If your child's stepmother adopted him, it would terminate your obligation to pay child support. However, you cannot petition the court to make her adopt your son, the decision and petition would have to come from her. You cannot voluntarily terminate your rights if she decides not to adopt.

Yes, while your child is underage, your ex needs to know your address so he can contact the child.

Father may introduce proof the Mother is employed. He may also request the Court impute an income to her based upon her earning capacity. This is not the amount she earns; it is the amount she could earn if she did work. This determination takes into consideration her education, licenses,... View More

If you were unmarried when the child was born, and have never had the father's rights declared in court with an enforceable visitation schedule, then he does not currently have rights to the child. You may deny visitation.

Be aware that at any time, he may seek a paternity action to... View More

Absent special circumstances, the answers to your questions are Yes and No. Please see 452.340 RSMo 2016.

This is more of an estate planning and tort issue. But my understanding is that unless your husband was named as a party in the suit, he is not a beneficiary of the settlement.

Your girlfriend will want to talk to an attorney local to her and her sister about seeking a child guardianship.

He has equal rights to your son, but without a court order declaring custody, he can't force your son to go with him. And considering that he does not currently have a proper living space to provide your son, a court is unlikely to grant him residential custody. He is entitled to his... View More

If you want to the court to declare the agreement invalid, you can file a Motion to Set the Judgment Aside, and state that you signed under duress. Talk to your attorney about setting aside the agreement.

Since the two of you were unmarried when the child was born, you do not have rights to see your daughter without a court order. Speak to an attorney in the area where the mother and child live as soon as possible about seeking an action to declare paternal rights and establish a father-child... View More

You can petition the court to award you temporary custody. But until the court issues some sort of custody order, you both have an equal right to the children. Talk to an attorney local to you as soon as you can; and until you have an attorney who can go for you, make sure you attend every court... View More

If the court has given residential custody to your mother, then you must abide by the parenting plan should she decide to enforce it. Talk to your dad and an attorney local to you about your dad seeking a Motion to Modify to have residential custody switched to your father.

You can't actually sign your rights away unless there is someone else to take your place, like an adoption by a step-mother. Likely he received sole custody granting you very limited visitation. You can seek a motion to modify to re-establish contact, if the circumstances since the original... View More

If Illinois has jurisdiction on the divorce, then I would file in Illinois. Speak to an attorney in the county where your divorce was filed.

No one can tell you how "likely" a particular outcome may be. If the action went to trial, the judge's decision would depend on on a host of factors, including: what the standard is in your jurisdiction, work schedules, how cooperative the two of you are in raising her, and how the... View More

Yes, propose you offer early, if it is reasonable, you may be able to work out a deal before trial and save yourselves some trouble. The state assigns a GAL if there is abuse or neglect apparent in the case, or if one party asks for a GAL and has a good reason for it.

No, the trust cannot be challenged. Though the family head seemed to be doing mother a favor by caring for the child in the first place, it does not sound as though this family is actually responsible for the child. While in state custody, it is the states responsibility to care for the child;... View More

Child support is determined by how much each party either makes or can make. So if one party is unemployed, the court considers the reasons around unemployment, such as if the party is disabled or quit their job.

You have every and all legal rights over your child. You may move without consulting the father, however, you are also still subject to the authority of your own parents as you are underage. Talk to your parents or legal guardian about your desire and need to move.

The judge can order your ex to reimburse you for your attorney bills, but that is usually at the end of an action and it not guaranteed. You may want to ask for temporary maintenance at your next court appearance so that you can afford an attorney to assist you.