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In Georgia, parents have a legal obligation to financially support their children. However, under certain circumstances, this rule doesn’t apply. If you have questions about your financial obligations as a parent in Georgia, please review the information below, and contact a Lithonia family law attorney today for guidance.
The termination of parental rights in Georgia
There are a number of circumstances under which a parent’s rights can be terminated. For example, the termination of parental rights often occurs before or during the adoption process. When a child is formally adopted in Georgia, the child’s legal relationship with his or her biological or legal parents ends. The adoptive parents then assume the rights and responsibilities of the former parents, and these responsibilities include the obligation to provide for the child financially. A parent can also lose his or her parental rights. Courts in Georgia will involuntarily terminate a party’s parental rights under the following circumstances:
- The parent abandoned his or her child
- The parent subjected his or her child to aggravated circumstances
- Remaining with his or her parent is likely to cause serious mental, physical, emotional, or moral harm to the child.
The termination of parental rights and the obligation to pay child support
Following the termination of parental rights, the former parent is no longer obligated to pay child support. This is due to the fact that a parent’s legal rights and responsibilities cease after a court terminates his or her parental rights. However, a parent whose rights are terminated will still be required to fulfill any financial obligations that existed prior to the termination. In addition, if the court believes that a parent has abandoned his or her child in order to intentionally avoid the obligation to provide financial support on an ongoing basis, it will not terminate his or her parental rights. Finally, the termination of parental rights is not something that Georgia courts take lightly, as it is one of the most extreme legal remedies that the state can impose on a parent. Therefore, it only involuntarily terminates a parent’s rights under extreme circumstances.
Have questions? Contact a Lithonia family law attorney today!
One of the biggest mistakes a party to a divorce can make is failing to hire an experienced family law attorney. Therefore, if you have family law needs of any kind in Georgia, you need an experienced Lithonia attorney on your side. At the E.N. Banks-Ware Law Firm, LLC, we will work diligently to ensure that you achieve the results you desire in your Georgia family law matter. Our experienced Georgia attorney will be with you every step of the way while working to resolve your legal issue. Therefore, if you have legal needs in Lithonia Georgia, DeKalb County or anywhere else in Georgia, please contact us today for a free consultation with our experienced Georgia family law attorney.