Legal Question in Family Law in Florida
I am a single parent with a child that is almost 2. I was never married to my child's father and we have never gone to court for custody. He has signed the birth certificate. He has not seen my child in 10 months nor attempted to. We have tried to locate him through child support 3 times and have been unsuccessful each time. He will sometimes contact me from time to time asking about my child but that is as far as its gone. What are my chances of filing for child abandonment in Florida and receiving full rights?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Almost nil. Using abandonment as a ground for termination of parental rights usually requires several years of not seeing the child and not paying support. Moreover, you'd have to have a husband prepared to adopt your child. You can't just leave a child legally fatherless.