Does anyone know about terminating a fathers parenting rights? Have any of you ever gone throught the process of either terminating or getting sole custody of your child/ren? What does the process involved and what steps would I take to get started? If it makes a difference, her father is in jail right now, but I want nothing to do with him once he gets out. I live in Cook County(IL), any advice would be helpful. Thanks to all.

Terminating parental rights is just about impossible. Criminals or not. If he is willing to sign the appropriate documents it can be done. At least in Texas. Good Luck

Brianna,
Grammy is right... its nearly impossible unless he signs the papers. Sole custody is attainable ... but rights.. not so easy. It does not matter what you want. It matters what (in the court's opinion)what is in the best interest of the child, and his rights as a parent.

Are you still talking with him? Try reversed psychology. If you act as if you WANT him a part of your child's life, outlining expectations of what he HAS TO DO (nag) then he'll distant himself. It's the parents who aren't wanted that stick around .. the parents that we WANT don't even bother.

Ok, so maybe it's not a good advice but after reading a ton of posts in here, it may just as well work.

Good luck.

My attorney suggested I use child support, daycare, medical bills as incentive to get him to terminate his rights voluntarily. It's probably going to take a few years, but I'm keeping track of every dime he owes me. Once it accumulates high enough (since I never get anything from him), my attorney said I should threaten to take him back to court to get his tax money, have his income witheld (if it even exists), and continue to take him to court until he pays or goes to jail. Or give him the option of voluntarily terminating his rights and I'll write off all the old debt. I'm hoping it works.

Terminateing the rights of either parent is next to impossible. Here in Vermont I would need to be married to another man that is willing to adopt my kids and is willing to fully support my kids in order to terminate on my own. Even if both dads signed off rights and I agreed they would still be resonsilbe for CS if there was no one there to adopt. I would rather drag the dads in for CS and make them pay. It may sound cruel and nasty but why let them get off so easily?

Good luck in trying for it. The worst anyone is going to tell you is no right?!

SPIRIT