Terminating Parental Rights in Indiana
The right to see your children and make decisions that will make their lives better is a big part of parenthood. But when those rights may be terminated, or if they’ll need to be terminated for the safety of the child, you may need legal help to determine what the process for terminating parental rights in Indiana is and how it will affect you.
Contact a lawyer at Rowdy G. Williams Law Firm. Whether you’re seeking to avoid losing your parental rights or if you need those rights taken from an absent parent, you’ll likely need someone on your side to fight for you.
Who Can Terminate Parental Rights?
The termination of parental rights is a complete termination of any responsibility for the child, whether that’s legally, socially, or financially. You’re no longer responsible for the care of your child, although certain items like late or unpaid child support will still need to be addressed.
But who has the power to end parental rights in Indiana? It’s on the court system to decide whether a parent’s rights should be terminated. The parents may choose to agree to the termination of rights, usually so they can allow a specific person to adopt the child.
However, if the parents don’t choose to terminate their parental rights, the courts may still order that their parental responsibilities are terminated. In these cases, the parents will have the right to be represented by a lawyer. If you need to fight for your parental rights, speak to a family lawyer as soon as possible.
The Process
The termination of parental rights in Indiana usually begins when the Office of Family and Children files an order on behalf of the child after attempts to unify the child and parents. If this has been attempted and any of the following events have happened, the court can then order further action:
- The child has been removed from the parents for over six months.
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Reuniting the family is not necessary for the specific proceeding.
- The child has been under the supervision of Office of Family and Children for fifteen of the past twenty-two months.
In any of these cases, the court can give the order to have parental rights terminated. If this happens, you and your lawyer can argue your case to protect your child’s best interests and your parental rights.
Help With Parental Rights Cases in Indiana
While the court may rule that it’s best for the child to be with another family, this can be a difficult decision, especially if you want to keep your parental rights. If you need help protecting your rights, or if you want to make sure your child is adopted by certain people, speak to an attorney about the termination of parental rights in Indiana.
At Rowdy G. Williams Law Firm, we understand how difficult it can be to decide how to handle family legal matters, and we’ll fight for your family’s best interests. To discuss your case with one of our attorneys, simply give us a call at 1-812-232-7400 or complete the online contact form below.
