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Relocation and terminating parental rights

I live in Ohio but will be moving to North Carolina in a few months. I have sole custody of my son and his father (who lives in Oklahoma) has no visitation. I have tried to get him for child support but they can't find him to serve him. He hasn't seen my son but twice in two years both times at my doing (once i drove there and the other i paid for him to come here) and has sent no money, bday cards, nothing for christmas. His contact is sporadic at best and he only wants to argue. My question is, when I move to NC and have lived there for 6 mos., am I able to file for termination of parental rights under their laws, or because my son was born in Ohio, does it have to be here? Ohio won't let you terminate rights without an adoptive parent to take responsibility.

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Attorney answers (2)

Reputation Level 10
Your question is answered in the last sentence of the question. Without someone to step up and take the place of the parent, as in a step-father willing to assume responsibility, parental rights will not be terminated in Ohio. As I am not license in North Carolina, I do not know what there laws are.

Reputation Level 11
My question to you is why would you want to, now? Stop initiating & enabling the contact with the son. Don't do anything to hinder the father's contact, but don't assist either. It is the father's responsibility and obligation to exercise his visitation rights [if he has any-you seem to indicate that he does not] You may ultimately be able to find him & get some child support, & if there is an existing child support order, it accumulates arrearages until changed. If you do remarry later, & the father has not had any contact with nor supported the son in any way for a period of two years, then have your new husband file for adoption. It will be a contested case then.

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