Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    MarylandMom2007's Avatar
    MarylandMom2007 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Oct 16, 2012, 05:41 PM
    Has my daughter been abandoned by her dad? Can I keep him out of her life now?
    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!
    MarylandMom2007's Avatar
    MarylandMom2007 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #2

    Oct 16, 2012, 05:52 PM
    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!
    J_9's Avatar
    J_9 Posts: 40,298, Reputation: 5646
    Expert
    		  
    #3

    Oct 16, 2012, 06:00 PM
    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.
    MarylandMom2007's Avatar
    MarylandMom2007 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #4

    Oct 16, 2012, 06:14 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by J_9 View Post
    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?
    J_9's Avatar
    J_9 Posts: 40,298, Reputation: 5646
    Expert
    		  
    #5

    Oct 16, 2012, 06:14 PM
    As long as the child's father agrees to the adoption. You will have to get his permission.
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

When mother abandoned kid with father for few day to make his work life hard [ 6 Answers ]

What happens when a son get dropped off to his father at work because the child mother is trying to make life hard. And this has happened many time. My son feel he was being separated from his brother and now doesn't want to go with me his dad any more

Daughter Abandoned with 3 small kids [ 2 Answers ]

Son-in-Law abandoned Daughter with three small kids ages 1, 2 & 4. He started seeing another woman. Daughter just received an eviction notice from her Apartment due to Son-in-Law has not been paying the rent. They owe $1000. She really has no place to go especially considering the 3 small kids...

Mother abandoned daughter [ 7 Answers ]

My step daughters mother has not has any contact with her in almost a yr. Will be a yr Dec 27. Is this considered abandonment in Arkansas? Thanks for any help!

My boyfriend has a daughter and he still talks to his ex that abandoned their child [ 8 Answers ]

So I am 21 years old and I am dating a guy who is 26 with a 4 year old daughter. He is just wonderful and so is his daughter. There are just a few problems. I never thought I would date a guy who had a child. It's OK, I don't mind. It's kind of scary sometimes. We kind of jumped into things. We...

My daughter's biological father abandoned her [ 5 Answers ]

My daughter is 8 years old and lives with my husband and I and her younger brother and has for about 5 1/2 years now. We have supported her without any help from her biological father. He took off to NY after we split up when she was 3 1/2. When she was 4 I took him to mediation to try to establish...

View more questions Search