Parental rights and stepfather adoption

[ccorley]

My daughter is 9 and barely has contact with her biological father. He never calls and only sees her when I make arrangements. It has been almost a year since she saw him last. I was told that in TN if the child has not seen her bio father in 4 months you can revoke his parental rights.
Basically my husband wants to adopt my daughter, she calls him dad. Unfortunately her bio father will do anything to irritate me. I would prefer to do this with out his consent. He has never provided consistent support for his daughter. What do I need to do? If something were to happen to me I would never want her to live with her bio father, he is totally unfit.

[aaron]

I was told that in TN if the child has not seen her bio father in 4 months you can revoke his parental rights."

Tennessee adoption law provides:

(1) (A) "Abandonment" means, for purposes of terminating the parental or guardian rights of parent(s) or guardian(s) of a child to that child in order to make that child available for adoption, that:

(i) For a period of four (4) consecutive months immediately preceding the filing of a proceeding or pleading to terminate the parental rights of the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the child who is the subject of the petition for termination of parental rights or adoption, that the parent(s) or guardian(s) either have willfully failed to visit or have willfully failed to support or have willfully failed to make reasonable payments toward the support of the child; ....

So from what you say you would probably qualify for step-parent adoption.