Child Abandonment Laws in Pennsylvania
My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: Pennsylvania.
I have a son who is almost 4. His father left us right after he was born. His name is on the birth certificate but has no contact with the child and hasn't for over 3 years. He does pay child support every so often just to keep from getting into too much trouble with Domestic Relations. We have no custody agreement because he doesn't want to see his son and shows no interest. I have kept the same fone number and address in case he did ever want to see him I was there. My question is can I go into court to have him relieved of his parental rights for abandonment since he hasn't seen the child or been involved in his life for 3 years? He doesn't call, email, send letters, nothing. I also want to know if he would still be paying child support after his rights are taken away or does that go away as well? My whole reason for wanting to do this is because I want to be sure if anything happends to me my son will go to people he knows not to a biological father who doesn't care about him. My son's father was military when he was first born and in S.C. for 2 months before coming home to see him and stay. He has since been discharged from the military and has been in the states for more then 2 years. He lives 20 mins away from us so travel isn't an issue.
Re: Child Abandonment Laws in Pennsylvania
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My question is can I go into court to have him relieved of his parental rights for abandonment since he hasn't seen the child or been involved in his life for 3 years?
If he's still paying support at all, he has not abandoned the child.
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I also want to know if he would still be paying child support after his rights are taken away or does that go away as well?
If you could have Dad's parental rights involuntarily terminated - which is not an option - Dad would no longer have a child to support, so of course support would evaporate.
Re: Child Abandonment Laws in Pennsylvania
Hang on. Are you saying that he was in the military, and deployed for the first year or two? If that's the case, that absence will certainly not be held against him (and nor should it be).