Legal Question in Family Law in Virginia
How can I terminate the parental rights of a child I have custody of so we can adopt her?
Asked on 2/19/12, 6:27 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert Beard
Attorney at Law
It is likely that the only way you can terminate the parental rights of the child's parents is in the context of an adoption proceeding. You would need to file a petition for adoption, and either get the consent of the legal parents to the adoption, or provide proof to the court that the parents' refusal to consent is not in the child's best interests. This is a very oversimplified answer, and you should contact an attorney who is familiar with adoption to analyze the facts in your particular case so that you may know what to do.
Answered on 2/19/12, 6:42 pm