Can a parent terminate their parental rights so they don't have to pay child support?

No. If that were the case there would be a line a mile long at the courthouses around the world.

Terminating parental rights just terminates your right to make decisions about the raising of the child.

If someone was responsible enough to lay down and make a child, that person should show the responsibility to financially take care of the child.

Terminating your rights to your child just to avoid paying child support is one of the lowest deeds you can do. The only thing lower would be shoveling coal in hell.

That being said, terminating rights to avoid the child support has been done. I do not know if all states allow it - but I know in Minnesota it can be done - has been done.

If you do this you are sending the strongest message to your child that I certainly hope comes back someday and bites you in the rear.

Its my granddaughters father. My husband and I have become guardians to our granddaughter, our daughter is paying her child support, but the father is not, he refuses to pay child support. He is now looking at terminating his rights so "he doesn't have to pay child support and to get a fresh start" (His words)

Can we fight the termination?

You should speak with a family attorney in your area to find out exactly what is going on with this particular court case. Although terminating financial responsibility does happen, it is rare.

You can fight anything in court. Find yourself an experienced attorney in Family Law. If your granddaughter's father is successful, hope he gets a new job shoveling coal...

Good luck to you.

Most if not all states will not allow it if someone objects, Most states do not allow it at all, unless there is a step parent to adopt the child and take over legal responsibility.

In most states merely giving up your rights has nothing to do with the obligation to pay. Most states have penalties for non payment, including losing the drivers license, one of our workers is in jail right now for non payment. And in many states the state will not let them, since if the child gets at some time any welfare the state is able to go back and get money from the other parents.

I will note that even MN if the parent who owes child support and the child receives welfare they also take over collection of the money, and MN will also garnish wages, take away drivers license, take away hunting license, refuse passports and more. So they are very aggressive in collection if you push the rights