home Family Law/Termination Of Parental Rights

Termination of Parental Rights

When a parent has become a danger to their children, the steps toward terminating parental rights must be taken in order to maintain their safety. When the parent has engaged in actions or behaviors that have led them to fail as a parent in critical ways, the state has the ability to revoke their parental rights.

In North Carolina, the offending actions that put this process into place include:

Child abuse
Child neglect
Abandonment of a child
Mental or physical incapacity to provide for the child
Committing one or more specific felonies
Failure to promote the child’s welfare
Failure to pay child support for over one year

Termination of parental rights is a serious proceeding with so much at stake. When a parent has demonstrated over time that he or she will not, or cannot provide the appropriate level of support to promote the healthy physical and emotional well-being of a child, it is best for termination of their parental rights to be enacted. Once this order has been entered, the former parent has no legal rights to direct or control the child in any way.

When filing to terminate a parent’s parental rights, the person seeking to terminate the parental rights of another must provide sufficient evidence to support a finding to terminate parental rights. Often, detailed information must be provided to support the petition.

Once the petition is filed, a summons is sent to the child’s parent, a court-appointed guardian, the Department of Social Services or adoption agency, and the child him/herself. The summons includes a notice that an answer must be filed within 30 days.

If you are being threatened with losing your parental rights, Capital to Coast NC Law Group is here to help. We also have the ability to assist relatives who are concerned that family members are not taking care of their children. Regardless of the situation, we are committed to helping our clients in their time of need, no matter what that need requires.

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From the very beginning, she was professional, understanding, and took great care to explain the legal process to us. She went far beyond what one would normally expect from an attorney and in doing so successfully achieved the goal we hoped for. We highly recommend Kellie Gonzalez for any occasion that calls for an attorney. – K, Family Law Client

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