I was just wondering if anyone knew what the Maryland rules for abandonment are. My daughter's biological father has never paid child support or seen her in the 18 months that she has been alive. I am currently engaged and my fiancé has talked about wanting to adopt my daughter. The biological father has been unresponsive to my phone calls and emails asking him to sign termination of rights paperwork. I have already sent him the paperwork, but he has not sent it back and it has been almost a year now. One of my friends told me that I could have his rights involuntarily terminated by filing for abandonment. I just don't know what the criteria for Maryland is and I can't find it anywhere on the internet. Does anybody know something about this? Thanks :o

Get a lawyer.

A lawyer will know what steps you have to take (including, probably, getting married first) and what papers to file.

Are you currently collecting child support? That can be a great lever for getting someone to voluntarily sign over their rights (as part of the adoption process, they would no longer have to pay child support).

File for child support, if you are not already receiving it, and then get a lawyer.