Paternal Rights

[mommawiggle]

My niece is 12 years old. Her mother (my sister) got married a few months ago. My brother-in-law would like to adopt my niece.

Here's the situation: my sister and my niece's father were never married. The father has not been around too much in my niece's life. He doesn't pay child support, and is actually in the process of having his license revoked and liens put on his belongings because of it. He refuses to terminate his parental rights, though he doesn't want anything to do with his daughter.

What kind of steps does my sister need to take to terminate the father's rights? Is it a fairly easy process, or do they have to go to court and testify? We just want the easiest/best thing for my niece. How costly can it get?

Thank you for your help!
Gina from WA

[Happy Trails]

My niece is 12 years old. Her mother (my sister) got married a few months ago. My brother-in-law would like to adopt my niece.

Here's the situation: my sister and my niece's father were never married. The father has not been around too much in my niece's life. He doesn't pay child support, and is actually in the process of having his license revoked and liens put on his belongings because of it. He refuses to terminate his parental rights, though he doesn't want anything to do with his daughter.

What kind of steps does my sister need to take to terminate the father's rights? Is it a fairly easy process, or do they have to go to court and testify? We just want the easiest/best thing for my niece. How costly can it get?

Thank you for your help!
Gina from WA

This link will give you helpful information.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=26.33

She would need to petition the court to have his parental rights terminated.

I have no idea how much it will cost, since the father isn't going to do it willingly it sounds like he'll put up a fight.

[jk]

It will require a court to terminate the fathers rights and they generally will not do so without good cause.

You made two contradictory statements in your post one being:

The father has not been around too much in my niece's life

and then posting:

He refuses to terminate his parental rights, though he doesn't want anything to do with his daughter.

It can't be both.

If he has not abandoned the child, although he does not exhibit the intensity of fatherhood you expect, the courts will not remove his rights.

[mommawiggle]

I just want to clear something up: my niece is 12 years old. Her father has been in and out of her life. Obviously more out then it. 7 years went by between visits. He always knew how to get a hold of her, he just CHOSE not to.
It has been a couple of years since the father saw my niece. He has decided he does not want to play a part in my niece's life, yet he refuses to give up his parental rights.
My sister has recently gotten married and my niece's step dad would like to adopt her. He is a wonderful man and plays a very active roll in my niece's life.
We are trying to figure out what needs to be done to drop the paternal rights of my niece's dead-beat dad (he does not pay child support and does not visit, write or make contact with my niece whatsoever in the last couple of years) so her step-dad can adopt her.

[jk]

Go to the link Happy Trails posted. It is the pertinent laws regarding adoption, termination of parental rights and relinquishment of paternal rights. Read is thouroughly. It gives a very good idea of what is required to do what you seek.

The laws within that link are written in plain English (wow) and are easily understood. An attorney would still be a good friend to have to avoid mistakes and lengthening the time it takes to terminate bio-dads rights.

So the simple answer is: follow the directions given within the laws.