Gibbons Law Firm: Under What Circumstances May Parental Rights Be Terminated?

As a parent, maintaining custody of your child is hopefully your top priority. However, in certain circumstances, a parent may have the option of voluntarily terminating his or her parental rights. This is most commonly seen in cases where parents, for various reasons, decide that they are not able to meet the responsibilities of raising a child and choose to give him/her up for adoption.

Involuntary Termination Of Parental Rights

In some cases, the decision to terminate parental rights is not one made by the parent. If the state believes the parents are putting the child at risk in any way, the court may step in and terminate one or both parents' rights.

This decision is rarely an easy one. Maintaining familial connections is important, and in most situations, everyone agrees that children are best off when kept in the care of their biological parents. If the parents have demonstrated repeatedly that they are unfit to care for their children, however, the state may terminate parental rights if they truly believe this option to be in the children's best interests.

Circumstances That May Warrant Termination Of Parental Rights

There are a variety of circumstances that may lead the state to terminate parental rights. Here is a look at some example situations, courtesy of our family attorney in Osage Beach MO.

Parental rights may be terminated if one or both parents...

Inflicts abuse or torture on the child
Sexually abuses the child
Commits a violent crime against the child or another family member
Fails to support or maintain contact with the child
Physically abuses the child
Abandons the child (or shows severe disinterest in being a parent)

Attempting To Reconnect The Child And Parent

Often, the court will try to reconnect the child and the parent if at all possible. For example, let's imagine that a child was placed in foster care while his alcoholic parent completed a rehabilitation program. In an ideal situation, the child would be reconnected to his parent upon completion of the program. Unfortunately, things may not always work out this way. Here are a few potential reasons why reunification may not be successful:

The child would face some sort of risk(s) if he returned home.
The parent is not ready to be reunited with the child after at least two years.

Contact Our Family Attorney For Assistance

Terminating parental rights is typically a lifelong decision. Because of how significantly it will impact the children involved, the state generally tries all other options before choosing to terminate parental rights. In some cases, however, it may be the only option that will protect a child's best interests.

Our Lake of the Ozarks family attorney has experience working with parental rights and understands the gravity of these situations. If you fear your parental rights may be at risk, or if you know a child who may be endangered while living at home, we urge you to contact our law firm in Osage Beach MO.

Time is of the essence - call 573-348-2211 to schedule your private consultation today.

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.