You cannot voluntarily give up your parental rights in Virginia. Only a court can terminate parental rights, and those are cases of abuse and...

Marriage laws in Virginia for a minor?

Yes -- minimum age in Virginia is 16, but a party under 18 needs consent by parent or legal guardian, either in person with the clerk issuing the...

First, we need to clarify -- losing "parental rights" means the birth parent has no more legal rights as to their child, meaning a complete break...

Can I take my sister in laws kids?

You may petition the local Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court for custody as a third party. The rules are strict as to who can ask for custody...

How can I legally change my daughters last name to my married last name?

You can petition the court for a name change for her. Normally, both parents need to consent to a child's name change, but if a parent cannot be...

Can he ask for parental rights in the future or are they gone forever?

Only a court can legally terminate someone's parental rights. You cannot give them up by agreement, and only the Department of Social Services can...

Child custody

Typically, a court can grant non-parental ("third party") custody only to "persons with a legitimate interest," which, according to the Code of...

Could mother get visitation back if father has been granted sole legal/physical custody and visitation is fathers discretion?

Without knowing any other facts about the case it is hard to say. Courts always rule based on what is in the best interest of the child. If the...

Not sharing custody at all, shouldn't support amount be higher?

It looks like you're confusing custody with visitation -- if the child lives with you exclusively, you have sole physical custody. The Father...

Who is responsible for paying for the a DNA test?

The court won't pay for a paternity test, but unless you made some kind of arrangement with the father you won't have to pay either because you...