Question asked on April 9, 2020
Q: The Father of my Daughter has always been in and out of her life. He took me to court to get full custody of her. We came to an agreement to do 50/50. He was only around for 6 months and then just stopped picking her up on his days and all communication stopped as well. I Am Now filing for full custody, he got upset and now wants to file to terminate his parental rights to her and I know it’s because he doesn’t want to pay child support. He has never put up a fight to see his daughter only the amount the court orders him to pay.
A: Short answer: No. An obligor cannot unilaterally terminate his own rights and avoid support; he can relinquish his parental rights, but his obligations remain until and unless a judge grants a Termination of Parental Rights. Details are posted here. If you are not getting support and wish to, or have any other questions about your rights and options, feel free to call and ask one of our attorneys.