North Carolina Termination of Parental Rights Lawyers

When termination of a parent’s rights occurs, the parent no longer has legal rights over the child. This can mean many things such as the parent(s):

• No longer has the parent-child relationship
• Rights to visit the child have been revoked
• No longer must pay child support
• Removed from the child’s birth certificate
• Permission is no longer needed for the child to be adopted

While this matter is taken very seriously in the courts, there needs to be ample evidence that supports the accusations. Having strong legal representation is important in this process to ensure that the parent’s rights are properly protected, and the right outcome is made for the child’s future. This type of case can easily get complicated, and it’s not something anybody should face on their own.

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There are several reasons a parent’s rights could be terminated. The following are some of the most common and involve a court process in order to determine each.

• A parent has become unfit to care for the child – In this case, the parent typically won’t provide or can’t provide proper care and support for the child’s basic needs.
• Sexual assault – The child may have been conceived of sexual assault, and the parent was convicted of sexual assault.
• Child endangerment – Child endangerment is when the child would be in any type of danger upon being in the care of a parent.
• Neglect – If the child hasn’t received the proper care from the parent, including food, shelter, education, or other critical developmental care.
• Abandonment – This usually indicates a parent has or is giving up rights to a child. Many times, they have stopped contact with a child and not provided any type of financial support.

One very important thing to note is that there must be clear evidence supporting the decision to revoke a parent’s rights to a child, and the judge needs to determine that the decision will without a doubt be in the child’s best interest. This type of case is not appropriate for parents making accusations, but instead of factual evidence to support their claims.

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The laws and procedures that accompany such a difficult decision in the courts are vast and complex, and having someone that understands and has experience navigating the process can prove very helpful for all parties involved. Therefore, having an experienced attorney with proven results is important. It helps protect the parties of the case and ensure that the appropriate information is presented.

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