Legal Question in Family Law in New York

i would like to know more on how to surrender parental rights. i have a daughter that is nine years old and i have not had any contact with her in 7 years. i have not had any contact with the mother in four years. the last time i talked to the mother was on the phone and she was demanding that i surrender my rights so that her husband could adopt the child. at the time i could not afford an attorney to do so so i was unable to do so. now all of a sudden she shows up to me and my wife's residence demanding a face to face sit down with her so she can ask me what she should tell her daughter about her father. i have repeatedly told her that i do not want anything to do with them. she has even gone as far as telling me that if i do not meet that she would have me put in jail for back child support that incurred from my children that live with me illnesses. to put it short, it is as if she is black mailing me. nothing good will come in meeting with her and it will not change anything. please, what can i do to end the matter and stop being harrassed.


Asked on 12/09/09, 8:13 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Elizabeth Karnazes New York Offices of Elizabeth Karnazes

You owe child support for the child for 18 years unless you gave up your parental rights. you should have let her husband adopt and this would have been over with. Try to think about your daughter. You might not want her, but how would you feel if you were that little girl? Is giving up your parental rights still an option? If yes, try making that offer. Please try to walk a mile in your daughter's shoes and not blame her for the mistakes of adults. She just probably needs a dad. Good luck!

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Answered on 12/18/09, 11:14 pm


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