[hunter30240]

My question is how many days is a child to be left before it is considered child abandonment in the state of GA?



Nikki

[RedneckMama]

Are we talking about some sort of relationship where one parent split, and has since not contacted the child? Or is this something different? I'm going to assume it's the first one since you posted under 'Family Law'...

My understanding of the length of the time that must pass before you can call it abandonment is a year with no contact at all... no phone calls, letters, child support paid, visitation...

[Fr_Chuck]

Normally from the first day, if they are left at walmart, or left somewhere.

Also normally non contact is not a reason to take righs away, what do you want to do with using abandoment
Georgia Child Custody Law

[excon]

Hello N:

Like the Padre asked you, what do you think you get by such a declaration? Whatever it is you THINK you get, there are OTHER ways to get it that are easier and cheaper.

Let us know what you want, and we'll tell you how to get it.

excon

[George_1950]

Check this: "Today, abandonment of a child is considered to be a serious crime in many jurisdictions because it can be considered malum in se (wrong in itself) and due to welfare concerns. For example, in the U.S. state of Georgia, it is a misdemeanor to willfully and voluntarily abandon a child, and a felony to abandon one's child and leave the state. In 1981, Georgia's treatment of abandonment as a felony when the defendant leaves the state was upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.[2]"
and: "The offense of abandonment is a continuing offense. Except as provided in subsection (I) of this Code section, former acquittal or conviction of the offense shall not be a bar to further prosecution therefor under this Code section, if it is made to appear that the child in question was in a dependent condition, as defined in this Code section, for a period of 30 days prior to the commencement of prosecution." See: Georgia Georgia Abandonment of Spouse or Child - Attorney Trey Phillips

[Fr_Chuck]

But there have been exceptions, there have been safe zones allowed to give your child up for new mothers, such as hospital and fire houses

[George_1950]

Georgia may be the only state that says that if the noncustodial parent fails to support a child for 30 days, the custodial parent may have him arrested.