Grace_Adler
Senior Member
Just wanted you to know so that you can relax, since I was born and lived in VA for 24 years, and my best friend graduated from law school there and she had her ex's rights terminated..
that in VA, child support IS NOT considered contact (nor is it in NC where I live now or several other states I've researched). And, the only way for him to get out of arrears is if you go to CSE and tell them you want to forgive the arrears and actually have the order for child support modified to say this. THEY have to be the ones to do this. (Same goes for NC residents if anyone is reading). Doesn't matter if you put it in the adoption decree.. you have a case with CSE so they have to close it out and terminate the arrears, if you CHOOSE to do so. Nor do you need a stepparent adoption to take place to terminate his rights, but you probably already know that.
VA allows you to serve him through notification in the newspaper where he resides or was last known to reside, if you can't reach him. You would have to file this with your papers and give him proper time to respond, according to the law. Then if he doesn't respond within the time the law allows, you can proceed. And as you probably know, if you send the summons to his last known address, all they do is stick it on the door and you're considered served. At least that's what they did when I lived there.
that in VA, child support IS NOT considered contact (nor is it in NC where I live now or several other states I've researched). And, the only way for him to get out of arrears is if you go to CSE and tell them you want to forgive the arrears and actually have the order for child support modified to say this. THEY have to be the ones to do this. (Same goes for NC residents if anyone is reading). Doesn't matter if you put it in the adoption decree.. you have a case with CSE so they have to close it out and terminate the arrears, if you CHOOSE to do so. Nor do you need a stepparent adoption to take place to terminate his rights, but you probably already know that.
VA allows you to serve him through notification in the newspaper where he resides or was last known to reside, if you can't reach him. You would have to file this with your papers and give him proper time to respond, according to the law. Then if he doesn't respond within the time the law allows, you can proceed. And as you probably know, if you send the summons to his last known address, all they do is stick it on the door and you're considered served. At least that's what they did when I lived there.