I am in a strange situation over here... I have a daughter who will be turning 5 years old in a couple of weeks and we live in Maryland. When she was a baby, I became addicted to my prescription medication, and was in no state to take care of her. When she was 9 months old, my parents were given legal and physical custody of her. When she was 2 years old, her father decided he wanted to be part of her life. We gave him visitation rights, and he visited her regularly until she was 3 years old. He visited her on her 3rd birthday, and then we didn't hear from him again until her 4th birthday, when he visited her again. Since that day, we haven't heard from him again, and have no way of getting in touch with him. My parents and I feel that it would be in my daughter's best interest to have him removed from her life for good, and wanted to know if there are some legal ways to go about that. Are there abandonment laws in Maryland? How would we go about getting him to sign over his parental rights? Thank you in advance for all your help!

Also, he has been paying $22 a month in child support, which is automatically taken from his pay check. We really don't need or even want his help, so we really wouldn't mind stopping the child support.

If you need more information to help you answer my questions, just let me know and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!

He is paying support, so in the eyes of the law he is still considered part of her life.

In order to give up paternal rights, in most states, the child would have to be adopted by a step parent.

He is paying support, so in the eyes of the law he is still considered part of her life.

In order to give up paternal rights, in most states, the child would have to be adopted by a step parent.

So, if my husband was to adopt my daughter, would we then be able to have her bio-dad's rights terminated?

As long as the child's father agrees to the adoption. You will have to get his permission.