Sandman,
In the state of NC, a TPR does stop CS and all other rights and obligations. It terminates the right to visitation, custody and child support. It does not however, terminate any arrears owed. If any arrears are owed solely to the CP, the CP does have the power to forgive those arrears if they choose to do so. If the arrears are owed to the state, then they must be paid. There is no way around that. It is as if the parent, whose (sp?) rights were terminated, were never their parent. Theoretically, all that is erased.
The only thing it does not terminate, is the child's right to inherit through their biological parent whose rights were terminated. However, if the child were adopted by say a stepparent, then the rights to inherit through the biological parent would end but they would then be eligible to inherit through the person who adopted them.
If both parents are in agreement, TPRs are easy to do in this state. If not, it just depends on the clerk of court, that's who TPR's are done through. It is much easier to get it done if there is someone willing to adopt. 2 years of no contact would be grounds to terminate based on abandonment. If the TPR is voluntary and both parties agree, then you don't have to have any grounds to file on. The person who needs to file is the one who wants to terminate the other's rights. If it is not voluntary, it will be an uphill battle and may not go through. I'm not saying it won't, it is just difficult sometimes.