Thanks for all of that, but still... if I wanted to change my child's last name, or get my child's father's parental rights revoked, or if my new husband wanted to adopt my child, how else could that be possible if I don't make a claim for Child Abandonment against his father?

First its not a good idea to piggyback your question on another thread. This can lead to confusion. So I've moved your question to its own thread.

Because you file to change a child's name, or revoke rights (not going to happen) or adopt. You may use abandonment as grounds but you don't file for it. There are other grounds as well.

To be more specific you don't need to claim abandonment to request a name change. If the father can't be contacted after a good faith effort is made to do so, and doesn't show up to object, the name change may be granted. Nothing has to be said about abandonment.

Of if you apply to revoke his rights the court will say he's not exercising them so why bother? In that case claiming abandonment works against you.

And an adoption works similarly to a name change. You have to show a good faith attempt to contact the father and if he doesn't show to object the adoption is granted.

And it falls to the laws of the area you are at. In Georgia for example, just not visiting, or not paying support, are not grounds to take away his rights.

But, if you go to court for an adoption, and he does not show up to fight it, there is a good chance you may win. ( still not 100 percent for sure) it works better if he would sign over his rights to allowthe adoption