Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption in Texas / Adoption by Stepparent
Under certain circumstances, parental rights can be terminated so that a parent no longer has any legal relationship with their child. A petition for termination of parental rights is most often seen in connection with a stepparent adoption. The Law Office of Mark E. Wewers, P.C. can help you if you are seeking termination of parental rights / contention in Northeast Tarrant County, Southern Denton County, North Dallas, or Collin County.
Texas Law
Termination of the parent-child relationship is provided for in Chapter 161 of Title 5 of the Texas Family Code. The law states that termination of parental rights is complete, final, and irrevocable. It frees the parent and child of all legal rights, privileges, duties, and powers between each other. It is even possible to file a suit for termination of parental rights before the birth of the child; however, the court may not conduct a hearing or render an order other than a temporary order until the child is at least five days old.
Voluntary Termination
Voluntary termination of parental rights is when one of the parents of the minor child is voluntarily agreeing to terminate his or her parental rights. In most cases, a voluntary termination of the parent-child relationship is to allow an individual who has married one of the parents to adopt the minor child. The divorced parent of the child voluntarily agrees to terminate his or her rights based on the representation that the current stepparent of the child will adopt the child.
Adoption
The first stage of a stepparent adoption is to terminate the parental rights of the non-custodial biological parent. This party may relinquish his or her rights if done knowingly, voluntarily, and if it is found to be in the child's best interests. The non-custodial biological parent must be given notice of the request for adoption. If the non-custodial biological parent cannot be located after all reasonable efforts to locate him or her, service may be made by publication. If the child to be adopted is over the age of 12, the child must consent to the adoption and may also be required to attend counseling on the meaning of adoption.
Contact Our Office for Assistance
The Law Office of Mark E. Wewers, P.C. has significant experience in termination and adoption cases. We handle each case with tremendous care because we understand that the welfare of children is deeply affected by the outcome. If you have a question and wish to contact a lawyer by e-mail, please fill out the form on our contact us page. To schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable attorney at our office, call (817) 410-4735 to reach our office in Grapevine.
Law Office of Mark E. Wewers, P.C.
Divorce and Family Law Attorney
611 South Main Street, Suite 400
Grapevine, Texas 76051
(817) 410-4735
We represent clients in Northeast Tarrant County, including Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake, Keller, Bedford, Euless, Hurst, and North Richland Hills, in addition to the Southern Denton County area, including Flower Mound, Trophy Club, Roanoke, and Westlake. We also serve clients in Dallas and Collin County, including Coppell, Irving, Valley Ranch, Plano, Frisco, The Colony, and Addison.