[wcparalegal]

:p :p I have a close friend that adopted his wife's son after they were married. Now, they are separated, filing for divorce and my friend has not seen his son in well over a year. He is currently paying child support as ordered and covering this child under his HI. Before the separation, his best friend and his wife were caught sleeping with one another as well. Can my friend terminate his adoptive parental rights to this child?:p :p

[LadyB]

Once an adoption is finalized the adoptive parent is the true and legal parent the same as a biological one... with all the same rights and responsibilities. In short, no he cannot terminate his rights unless it is to free the child for adoption by another stepparent, and he also has the right to visitations as should be worked out in the divorce/custody agreement.

[Fr_Chuck]

He can of course terminate his rights, but not his obligations, he does not have to visit, he does not have to have a say about the child.
But he will have to continue to pay child support for the child, until such time as another man wants to adopt in his place.

** this is of course why while a step parent adopting is great, but if they divorce, he will have to continue to pay the child support