Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Wisconsin

Who Can Relinquish Parental Roghts?

I'm interested in knowing who has the right to relinquish parental rights and why all people would not have the right to the same rights? If a single parent feels they can no longer take care of their child, can they relinquish their parental rights? If 2 parents either living together or apart feel they need to relinquish their rights. Can they? If a divorced person feels that it is important to their emotional well being, why are they not allowed to relinquish their parental rights? Sometimes isn't there ever a way to show good cause for needing to relinquish their rights? Children are taken away from parents for a number of reasons, but a parent is told they can not relinquish thier parental rights unless they meet certain criteria. Isn't this in a way taking away some civil rights or civil liberties of some people while allowing others these rights? In so denieing a divorced parent the right to relinquish their parental rights are we not denieing that they have a right to the same rights as other parents or even the children? I hope I have stated and asked this correctly so that this may be understood and answered. Thank you for any help you can give me on this matter.


Asked on 2/07/02, 11:51 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Charles Aspinwall Charles S. Aspinwall, J.D., LLC

Re: Who Can Relinquish Parental Roghts?

No parent has a legal right to relinguish parental rights "just because." Parental rights must be relinquished in favor of another person. Children must have at least one parent.

The rest of us have absolutely no interest in supporting another's children. We insist that parents do that. The law does not permit a parent to avoid the parental responsibility by relinquishing parental rights and then requiring the rest of us to support the child.

You have been given erroneous information.

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Answered on 2/07/02, 2:04 pm


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