Adoption And Termination Of Parental Rights

One of the most difficult decisions a parent will ever make is to give up their parental rights or to have the parental rights of a child's other parent terminated. In every situation there are extenuating circumstances that lead people to make this type of decision.

You may find yourself trying to terminate the rights of parent who is on drugs and transient, making it difficult to terminate their rights because you cannot find them. Or, perhaps the other parent has been violent towards you and your children. Or, both parents may have disappeared and placed the child in your care for a substantial period of time without visiting or supporting their child. Regardless of the reason, every parent has certain constitutional rights regarding their child. It is very important that you hire an attorney and that all required steps are taken in a termination and adoption case or all of your work may not render the desired result.

Some termination and adoption cases are agreed to and can mean a lot to a child, particularly an adult child who was raised by a step-parent. Adult adoptions are becoming more common and differences do exist between a child adoption and an adult adoption.

In a child case, parents must be notified that someone is trying to terminate their parental rights. Most commonly, where there is a termination case there is also an adoption case.

An attorney ad litem or an amicus attorney is typically appointed by the judge to represent your child. An attorney ad litem may be appointed to represent the mother or father, but it is not always required (except in cases initiated by the Texas Department of Family and Protected Services against indigent parents).

In an adult adoption case, there are no parental rights to be terminated. The adult child can petition the court for someone to adopt them.

In all adoptions, where granted, the child (minor or adult) can have their name changed and a new birth certificate issued showing their new parent, just as if the new parent had been their biological parent all along.

Call us today to schedule an appointment to speak with one of our knowledgeable attorneys about termination and adoption proceedings if you find yourself in any of the following situations:

• You would like to terminate a parent's parental rights because you have had possession of the child for quite some time without the parent visiting or supporting the child in any way.
  
• You are a parent who received notice of someone trying to terminate your rights.
  
• You are an adult who would like to be adopted by another person.
  
• You are an attorney looking for an attorney ad litem or amicus attorney to represent a minor child.
  

Scanio & Scanio, A Professional Corporation, is located in San Marcos. We proudly serve clients in Central Texas, including Hays, Comal, Caldwell and Guadalupe counties. To schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys, call us at 512-396-2016 or fill out our online contact form.