QUESTION
Can you get abandonment on a child if the father hasn’t been involved?
Asked on Aug 30th, 2020 on Family Law - Ohio
More details to this question:
For three years now my sons biological father hasn’t been around. He’s seen him maybe a handful of times, at a store in town, since he left when my son was 2 months old. He gave me $20 once and that’s it. My number isn’t hard to get. It’s actually advertised on my car for my business and we live in the same area. My question is, if i wanted his right taken and my sons last name changed, do I have to be married and the husband wanting to adopt?
1 ANSWER
Family Law Attorney serving South Euclid, OH
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To change the child's last name all you need is for the father to receive notice of the proceedings through the probate court, where you would file the request to amend the birth certificate. If you wanted the father's parental rights terminated, you would need to seek a stepparent adoption. Lack of contact for a year is a means to establish abandonment that will allow the court to grant the stepparent adoption.
Answered on Sep 02nd, 2020 at 2:51 PM