Legal Question in Family Law in Pennsylvania

Hi, and thank you for your question.

If you want to give up your rights as your baby's mother, you would have to wait until the baby is born, and then you would sign a "Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights". However, you should realize two things - First, by relinquishing your parental rights, the law will no longer recognize you as the child's mother and you will not be able to assert any rights to your child.. And, second, although you are relinquishing all of your rights as the mother of your child, you cannot sign away the father's rights. Therefore, you will have to get the child's father to also sign his own Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights and if he refuses to give up his rights as the child's father, he can file a Complaint for Custody and if you have already signed away your rights as the child's mother, you will not be permitted to contest any Complaint for Custody which the child's father may file with the Court.

Best of luck,

ANDREA