Legal Question in Family Law in Pennsylvania

Termination of Parental Rights

My fiancee has a daughter who is 4 from a previous relationship to a woman who is ''mentally unstable''. The daughter is repeatedly exposed to her half sister who is 7 and has been in and out of mental hospitals for the past couple months, she has also been exposed to ''sex tv'' and left outside by herself. We have contacted child protective services and they say there is not enough evidence to do anything. We want the mother to give up her rights. Is it illegal to pay her off? And how would we go about terminating her rights? Also do I have to be married to my fiancee in order to adopt his daughter?


Asked on 7/11/09, 4:07 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
John Davidson Law Office of John A. Davidson

Re: Termination of Parental Rights

They only way for the mother's parental rights to be terminated absent Children & Youth taking action is to have them terminated as part of an adoption action.

However, before the adoption takes place you should be come a married couple. If you don't you'd be the child's adoptive mother and your fiancee would be a strange to the child as his rights would be terminated as well. If you adopt the child once you are married then you both become the child's adoptive parents.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me. The initial consultation is free.

{John}

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Answered on 7/13/09, 8:53 am


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