Legal Question in Family Law in North Carolina
my 11 year old daughter lives with me, her father has not seen, tried to see, or spoken to her in 6 years. I would like to terminate his parental rights, so that she can get on with her life, do I HAVE to have an attorney to do this, or can I do this without one?
1 Answer from Attorneys
You need an attorney. Most likely, you have no idea even how to go about it. This should be your first big indication that you need professional help with this matter. But even if you do know how to do it, you are most likely too emotionally close to the issue to effectively represent yourself. The most common reason people attempt to represent themselves is to save money. If that's the case in your situation, simply shop around. Terminating parental rights under the circumstances you describe should be a fairly easy thing - there is no reason to pay thousands of dollars for this. Consult with several attorneys in your local area. You'll want to hire an attorney you feel comfortable with and who will quote you a reasonable flat rate fee. Our firm would normally quote around $800 plus cost. One last thing you should keep in mind - if you are successful in terminating parental rights you will also be terminating any obligation of the father to pay child support.