Legal Question in Family Law in Virginia

Terminating Fathers Rights

I want to terminate all fathers legal rightsto my son. He's not on the birth certificate. Is it possiple and how would I go about it?


Asked on 3/09/07, 3:51 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

John Jackson Law Office of John A. Jackson, P.C.

Re: Terminating Fathers Rights

Contact an attorney. Here are some of the reasons to terminate parental rights.

Circumstances That Are Grounds for Termination: Abandonment or Extreme Parental Disinterest

Abuse/Neglect

Mental Illness or Deficiency

Alcohol or Drug Induced Incapacity

Felony Conviction/Incarceration

Failure of Reasonable Efforts

Abuse/Neglect or Loss of Rights of Another Child

Sexual Abuse

Failure to Maintain Contact

Failure to Provide Support

Child Judged in Need of Services/Dependent

Child's Best Interest

Child in care 15 of 22 months (or less)

Felony assault of child or sibling

Murder/Manslaughter of sibling child

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Answered on 3/09/07, 5:33 pm
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: Terminating Fathers Rights

Chances are, the court to which you may go to petition to have the natural father's parental rights to your son terminated, will refuse to do so, absent a showing of egregious conduct on his part towards his son, unless there is also another person ready, willing and able to step into the biological father's shoes and assume his position in the child's life via a petition for adoption.

In other words, your petition to terminate the natural father's parental rights with respect to your son is unlikely to be granted unless there is a prospective adoptive father "waiting in the wings", so to speak, who is ready to adopt your child

as his own.

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Answered on 3/09/07, 10:47 pm


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