Want to sign away my parental rights and responsibilities for teenager

[redman24]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? TN

My 14 year old son wants absolutely nothing to do with me, and his mother supports that. I have 50/50 custody but he refuses to see me and wants me to not exercise my rights to see him, pretty much asking me to sign away my rights. I was extremely active in his life until his mother remarried and completely replaced me as a father. They have alienated him to get more parenting time and child support. If I weren't in the picture, the new stepfather would certainly adopt him, but since I'm here, they don't want him adopted solely because they want to drain me of child support while giving me not parental rights to see my son. I have tried for over a year and failed to get him to see me.

Can I (through attorney) petition the court to give up my parenting rights and responsibilities even if they don't want to adopt him? He already has another father figure and I'm beyond insulted to have to pay child support simply to subsidize the new father to take my place.

 

[adjusterjack]

No, you can't voluntary relinquish your parental rights without the consent of the mother.

What you can do is go to court and enforce your visitation rights and ask the court to relieve you of child support if your ex won't cooperate with the visitation. It's not your son's decision to make and if you put your ex's feet to the fire she'll make sure he complies or she'll lose the money.

Sorry, but she's got you over a barrel if you aren't willing and able to keep hauling her back to court on contempt citations.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Can I (through attorney) petition the court to give up my parenting rights and responsibilities even if they don't want to adopt him? He already has another father figure and I'm beyond insulted to have to pay child support simply to subsidize the new father to take my place.

You don’t have to exercise your rights. If you don’t want to push for the visitation and custody rights you have in the court order, that’s up to you. As to your support obligations, you cannot simply get rid of that by asserting they have refused to let your son come on visitation. It’s up to you to go to court to enforce visitation if you want it. If you get the visitation you might have the chance to repair the relationship with your child, if you want that.

It may be that if you really push to enforce visitation and they really oppose that you can offer to drop the matter if the step-father will adopt him or, alternatively, if the mother will agree to jointly move for an end to the child support. Consult a family law attorney on how best to deal pursue this.

 

[HRZ]

Suggestion from a layman , you need to be more proactive to demand visitation be followed ..kids do not make up the rules !

ANd I suggest vigorous contempt actions seeking both make up time AND your legal costs as sanctions and use legal counsel . MAke it a big pocketbook issue for Mom to obfuscate visitation as set forth in whatever order.

 

[latigo]

No, you can't voluntary relinquish your parental rights (not) without the consent of the mother.

What you can do is go to court and enforce your visitation rights and ask the court to relieve you of child support if your ex won't cooperate with the visitation. It's not your son's decision to make and if you put your ex's feet to the fire she'll make sure he complies or she'll lose the money. . .

Excuse me but where did you come by these absurd layman's notions:

1. That although a parent cannot unilaterally dissolve the parent-child relationship he or she can do so with the consent of the other parent?

2. That a court can relieve the poster of his legal and moral obligation to support his 14-year old son because of some misconduct on the part of the custodial mother in denying visitation?

In so many words you have falsely (and IMO irresponsibly) instructed the OP that (1) the parents can in concert arbitrarily and without the intervention of a court of competent jurisdiction do away with the parent/child relationship, and (2) that the obligation of support and right of access are some how interdependent.

[SUP]"Put the mother's feet to the fire"? What a "catchy" but inappropriate metaphor.[/SUP]

 

[CTU]

Excuse me but where did you come by these absurd layman's notions:

1. That although a parent cannot unilaterally dissolve the parent-child relationship he or she can do so with the consent of the other parent?

2. That a court can relieve the poster of his legal and moral obligation to support his 14-year old son because of some misconduct on the part of the custodial mother in denying visitation?

In so many words you have falsely (and IMO irresponsibly) instructed the OP that (1) the parents can in concert arbitrarily and without the intervention of a court of competent jurisdiction do away with the parent/child relationship, and (2) that the obligation of support and right of access are some how interdependent.

[SUP]"Put the mother's feet to the fire"? What a "catchy" but inappropriate metaphor.[/SUP]

One or two states do indeed allow a parent to voluntarily terminate their rights and obligations with the court's approval as long as the other parent is in agreement.

 

[Zigner]

One or two states do indeed allow a parent to voluntarily terminate their rights and obligations with the court's approval as long as the other parent is in agreement.

Is TN one of those states?