Parental Rights

Texas - My 22 year old daughter recently gave birth to an adorable baby boy. Must she hire the attorney in order to get a legal document verifying the father's wishes to waive his rights therefore relinquishing visitation rights and child support for the baby? Must he take a paternity test (although we don't mind if he does because it is his - no doubt!!)? Baby currently on medicaid but she is looking for new job with medical benefits in order to get off medicaid. So...question is - must all the financial expense of the legal issues now also be paid by her just because she chose not to have an abortion which some people do choose? Isn't it enough that her finances have provided for all the items a baby needs, etc. and change in income for the mom, etc.?

[tigger22472]

Dad can sign off for visitation (MAYBE) but it's almost definate that he won't be allowed to sign off the right to pay child support especially since mom has government assistance. If it was that easy there would be a lot of emaculate conceptions because people would be signing off their rights whenever they chose to. The only way all right can be taken is if the child is adopted and generally that has to be the spouse of the other bio-parent.

[ellencee]

tigger22472

I'm very glad you know there was an emacultate conception--now if you only knew what the term really means. I believe I am correct in saying it is a term developed by the Catholic Church, about the time and maybe related to St. Bernadette of Lourdes, France. The Immaculate Conception is the Virgin Mary, who the Catholic Church stated they believe was born without sin, and as the only person born without sin was the only woman who could be the mother of Jesus, the son of God.

[tigger22472]

Yes and it also was about how she didn't actually have the ACT of sex with anyone but still became pregnant. In the end by letting men sign off rights to a child just because they want to you in fact have NO visible FATHER that they can prove. Yes, Jesus was the son of God but in modern and cynical terms no one actually saw him.

Hey ellencee:

That is just so BIZZARE...immaculate conception that's wacky weed stuff, Oh boy 2000 years on the one...wow people will believe such wild stories..


Well why not consider that jesus was a test tube baby and mary was artifically inseminated with god 's sperm and by jesus being half man and half god then rising from the dead is NO BIG DEAL!

What if our god is nothing more then a glorified Capt Kirk, space travelers who populated a this planet, and were 2000 years more advance then us.

Virgins can have babies today, but not 2000 years ago!......At least this version is based on some true facts.

[Cookie97128]

Yes, get an attorney... Did you actually put the father's name on the birth certificate? That could be one way to keep him away for now. But he can always come back years down the road and say he wants visitation. Even if he NEVER paid a penny of child support.
Talk to an attorney. Talk to several in fact. Ask them the easiet way to go about this. If the father is willing to sign, then you shouldn't be hearing from him in the future either.
Good Luck, Congrats on the new baby and God Bless.




~Life is Short, Pray Hard~

[tigger22472]

Odds are that once he finds out that he will still have to pay support then he won't willing give up those rights. Odds are his reasoning will be that why should he pay for a child he can't see but especially since mom is on assistance already it's HIGHLY unlikely that the state will let him give up his rights completly. They look at is as he helped create this baby why should the state help pay for it when he's an able bodied person that can support the child..

[ellencee]

tigger22472 & retertoooo

Immaculate Conception is a term, a specific and defined term; if you wish to argue theological beliefs, or the lack thereof, you need to find someone other than me with whom to argue as I will not participate. Please feel free to look the term up, just as you can look up the term 'loser'. Feel free to argue with the reference book or site regarding any challenge of semantics that you have. Personally, I consider learning the correct definition and usage of a term as being beneficial to me, since it keeps me from using an incorrect term in the future.

[CMSC]

Originally posted by mabmom77
Texas Must she hire the attorney in order to get a legal document verifying the father's wishes to waive his rights therefore relinquishing visitation rights and child support for the baby? Must he take a paternity test (although we don't mind if he does because it is his) must all the financial expense of the legal issues now also be paid by her just because she chose not to have an abortion which some people do choose? Isn't it enough that her finances have provided for all the items a baby needs, etc. and change in income for the mom, etc.?

Does it not concern you and your daughter that this "father" wants to have his rights relinquished? Why do you think this is best? Your grandchilds father should be the one hiring the attorney to petition to relinquish his rights. Is there a support order or visitation order? If not and your daughter and the babies father don't want one then just go about your lives like the father doesn't exist. Let time go by and make him realize he is missing out on something wonderful If he he has nothing to do with child in the years to come then petition the court to relinquish him of his rights. I am not saying that this is best, it sounds like everyone is being a little selfish, why should this child be deprived of two parents? your daughter is very lucky to have your support in all this but is this what she wants or what you want?

What in the hell does immaculate conception have to do with any of this, can't we all just get along...once in a while?

ellencee, your definite of immaculate conception is very accurate, not too many people get it...took me switching religions to find out the real meaning! SOrry this has nothing to do with this post!

[tigger22472]

ok ok ok.. forget I even brought the damn subject up!!! Geez!!!!! I was SIMPLY pointing out that the poster seemed to think that terminating his rights was nearly like going to the store to buy milk and it was very simple to do... my point was that if it was that simple there would be millions of kids out here who have "NO FATHER." Seeing as Parental rights are taken from someone that legally makes them parentless and people no matter how many children they technically have created could say that they didn't have any children because they walked to a judge and said..."hey, i know i was responsible for the creation of this child... but you know.. I just don't think I can handle it so just, you know, take my rights away. I don't want to pay for it, support it, feed it or have anything to do with it at all."

Thanks for your responses - Hey - I don't understand half of what goes on today but all I know is that I had a 22 year old single pregnant broken hearted daughter who needed me - as I attended childbirth classes with her, I wanted to tell the young parents (all other "couples") that what I was doing was part of parenting also - there are the great times and there are some tough times - this was a tough time for our family. But once the baby was born, God's grace allowed us to immediately love him and continue to be there for our daughter. She certainly made a mistake in getting pregnant - she acknowledged that initially and continues to do so but "it is what it is" so life goes on. We are simply trying to help her figure out the proper thing to do FOR ALL....but most importantly for the baby's sake and future. We did NOT ask him to give up his rights - HE CHOSE THIS....now he wants her to tell him what his options are and where he needs to go what he needs to do etc. We want him to acknowledge paternity first of all and hope the family court system does the right thing for the baby! This is just all new territory for us and we don't know the best way to handle it. Your input has been interesting (immaculate conception????? NOT HERE - though the baby seems to be an angel, his father is mortal man. ). Thanks from Texas!!

[tigger22472]

I'm glad things are going well for you and I guess I will stress again that my entire point was that states don't allow men to just decide to give up their rights. Trust me, you came to the right place to find plenty of us women who realize maybe not that having our children or getting pregnant was a mistake but we sure as heck picked the wrong person to do it with. It's just one of those life lessons that you get reminded of for 18 years. I'm sure you will help your daughter in any and all ways you can but legally and morally it is the parents responsibility to care and support this child. I'm going to make the assumption that the father is near the same age of your daughter which is fairly young but yet at the age where they can't use being young to get out of things(not saying your daughter for she is taking responsibility for her actions. For an example my 20 year old brother-in-law signed his name to a paper joining the National Guard in August before 9-11. He wasn't to leave for basic until Nov so he was to go to his monthly drills. After 9-11 he decided he wasn't going. The government put cuffs on him and told him differently. We let him know he wasn't a child anymore that could get out of things, he was now an adult that had taken a responsibility that he was going to follow through with. (BTW.. he loved basic, did his training and is even doing Airborne and due back home soon, has even talked about going fulltime). My point is that at some point dad has to grow up and take responsibility and learn from things that he may consider to be mistakes.
Good luck to you, your daughter and your grandson!!

[VeronicaGia]

If HE wants to terminate HIS parental rights, make HIM do it. However it will only terminate his rights to see his child and be involved in his childs life. It will NOT stop his OBLIGATION to support his child. Rights and obligations are two different things.

No, your daughter does not have to do any of this. If he wants to do this, let him, and let him pay for an attorney to do it.

The law states that no one has the right to waive their childrens right to support. No on has the right to not support their children. So, if this man does terminate his parental rights, he will lower himself to being a sperm donor and ATM machine.

The only way either parent can terminate his obligation to support is if there was someone willing to adopt the child.

[FoggyDew]

Another quick note... If he wants his rights terminated, then it is his responsibility. If your daughter wants to pursue child support it is her responsibility. Each much pursue their own course of action. If your daughter is claiming medicaid, they will be looking for him anyway since she knows who the father is - she can let them know and they will pursue it. However, in order to get support she will have to file. I suggest clarifying visitation (if any) etc, while she is at it so that there are specific orders in case the father comes back later. If she qualifies for medicaid, chances are she qualifies for county legal assitance too. Good luck!

[tigger22472]

If she's living with mom and dad she probably wouldn't get legal assistance or possibly any other help. Here in Indiana when I filed living with my parents I couldn't get anything. When I tried filing for legal assistance the wanted ALL household income. I live with my boyfriend who is not the father of my two children. I do get medicaid though because legally no one else can insure them.