Can a parent relinquish their parental rights to avoid child support?
My daughters father decided he wanted nothing to do with her in the tail end of pregnancy. Haven't heard from him in months until now saying he wants to sign over his rights to her because he wants nothing to do with her and doesn't want to pay child support for her.
No. The child may be adopted by another person, (there are requirements for this, which must be met before it can happen), which would terminate his financial responsibility (as well as any rights to visitation, contact, inheritance, etc.). A parent can lose the "parental rights" as part of a Dependency matter, where an unfit parent has their child(ren) removed form their home and. ultimately have their rights terminated (so the child becomes "legally free" and may then be adopted by fit parents.
Whether he "want to pay child support for her" is irrelevant. He still has the statutory duty to financially support his child until she is an adult or adopted by another person.
There is no law that requires him to have any personal relationship with his child. He still has to pay child support.
When the daughter is born, you can ask DSHS to start the child support action for you. DSHS will have the court case done for free for you.
DSHS will not hand the residential schedule/parenting plan unless it is alleging both parents to be unfit.
Thuong-Tri Nguyen
