I am pregnant. 3 months along. The birth father of my child wants to sign off his legal rights to the child. Is this something that I have to have done in court? Or can he put together a letter and sign it in front of a notary and just provide me a copy? I want this to be as painless/quick/and inexpensive as possible. I am in the state of Illinois.

Can't do it... plain and simple. He will be legally liable for child support until the child becomes an adult.

Only a court could do it... and they rarely do except in cases of legal adoption.

THere is a sticky at the top of this forum you failed to read... here is the link with lots on information.

I do not want him near my child... nor a part of its life either. If the child is unborn, What can I do? I want to release him from any right to it.

He's the father... he will retain those rights unless a court determines he is a threat to the child's safety, you can't make that decision.

Plus if the issue of support ever comes up... he's obligated to pay for it... BEFORE the taxpayers should be brdened with that responsibility.

Sorry but as much as you may dislike the father, its still as much his child as yours... and until its adopted by someone else, he's responsibilities or rights will not end.

If you are smart... you will file for child support. Kids aren't cheap to raise. He doesn't have to be around if he doesn't want to be... but he is still obligated to pay his share of the costs.

If he wants no part then you won't have much of a chance of him filing for custody.

I've never met a single mom yet that had more than enough money they didn't need any more to raise the kid. And I've known a lot of single mothers. Some of them never got money for a number of reasons.

If you meet and marry the right guy... and he is willing to adopt the child... then its possible to have the bio-fathers rights completely terminated by that action. He would wilingly sign those papers according to what you have said.

Ok... he doesn't want to be part of it. He wants to not be associated with any responsibility and I am definitely OK with that. He is an alcoholic, and he apparently is suicidal.

I have documentation of conversations where he has told me he is going to kill himself etc. Its best that I release him of rights. We both want it.

Its not your decision to make... or his.

Only a court can do it.

As the other have said.. you can't do that. He can't do that. There isn't a quick and painless way to arbitrarily sign over parental rights. It can't be done. There is a great sticky at the top of the family law forum about this.