How to Relinquish Parental Rights in Georgia
Identify why you want to relinquish your rights., Distinguish between voluntary and involuntary relinquishment., Meet with a lawyer., Think carefully before relinquishing your rights.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Identify why you want to relinquish your rights.
Often, parents hope to relinquish parental rights in order to avoid child support payments.
They think that they can voluntarily give up their rights to the child, thereby ending any financial support obligations.
However, a judge is unlikely to allow you to voluntarily relinquish your parental rights for this reason.Because the judge bases her decision on what is in the child’s “best interest,” it rarely matters that the other parent agrees that you can give up your parental rights.
More likely, a judge will allow you to relinquish your parental rights if you are giving up the child for adoption.
You can do this when you are a birth mother who does not want to raise a child or when the other parent has married someone who wants to adopt the child. -
Step 2: Distinguish between voluntary and involuntary relinquishment.
In Georgia, parental rights can be involuntarily terminated for a variety of reasons other than adoption.
For example, a judge can terminate parental rights if the parent has willfully abandoned the child, or if the parent has failed to follow a child support order for 12 months or more.If you want to avoid child support payments, you might think it is a good idea to abandon the child or stop paying child support.
However, there is no guarantee that the state of Georgia will move to terminate your parental rights involuntarily.
Nor is there any guarantee that the other parent will, either.
Accordingly, you should not stop paying child support in the hopes that your parental rights will be terminated.
All you will have accomplished is to accumulate child support arrearages.
Once you owe unpaid child support, then the state can move to garnish your wages, put liens on your property, or suspend your driver’s license. , In order to figure out whether you can voluntarily relinquish your parental rights, you should try to meet with an attorney.
A qualified attorney can help you decide whether giving up your parental rights is the best option for you.
An attorney can also help you deal with child support obligations, if that is the reason you are trying to relinquish your parental rights.
For example, a lawyer might help you petition the court to reduce your child support payments.
For tips on how to find a family law attorney, see Find a Good Family Law Attorney. , If you decide to give up your parental rights, then you will have no say in your child’s upbringing.
You will have no legal right to decide where the child lives, what his or her education will be like, or what faith the child should be raised with. -
Step 3: Meet with a lawyer.
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Step 4: Think carefully before relinquishing your rights.
Detailed Guide
Often, parents hope to relinquish parental rights in order to avoid child support payments.
They think that they can voluntarily give up their rights to the child, thereby ending any financial support obligations.
However, a judge is unlikely to allow you to voluntarily relinquish your parental rights for this reason.Because the judge bases her decision on what is in the child’s “best interest,” it rarely matters that the other parent agrees that you can give up your parental rights.
More likely, a judge will allow you to relinquish your parental rights if you are giving up the child for adoption.
You can do this when you are a birth mother who does not want to raise a child or when the other parent has married someone who wants to adopt the child.
In Georgia, parental rights can be involuntarily terminated for a variety of reasons other than adoption.
For example, a judge can terminate parental rights if the parent has willfully abandoned the child, or if the parent has failed to follow a child support order for 12 months or more.If you want to avoid child support payments, you might think it is a good idea to abandon the child or stop paying child support.
However, there is no guarantee that the state of Georgia will move to terminate your parental rights involuntarily.
Nor is there any guarantee that the other parent will, either.
Accordingly, you should not stop paying child support in the hopes that your parental rights will be terminated.
All you will have accomplished is to accumulate child support arrearages.
Once you owe unpaid child support, then the state can move to garnish your wages, put liens on your property, or suspend your driver’s license. , In order to figure out whether you can voluntarily relinquish your parental rights, you should try to meet with an attorney.
A qualified attorney can help you decide whether giving up your parental rights is the best option for you.
An attorney can also help you deal with child support obligations, if that is the reason you are trying to relinquish your parental rights.
For example, a lawyer might help you petition the court to reduce your child support payments.
For tips on how to find a family law attorney, see Find a Good Family Law Attorney. , If you decide to give up your parental rights, then you will have no say in your child’s upbringing.
You will have no legal right to decide where the child lives, what his or her education will be like, or what faith the child should be raised with.
About the Author
Susan Butler
A passionate writer with expertise in pet care topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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