Dedicated Pennsylvania Legal Counsel
A termination of parental rights is often sought in cases concerning stepparent adoptions. This is a necessary hurdle to overcome before a stepparent can be considered the legal parent of the child. While this is typically not a problem when carried out voluntarily, it does create problems when the parent does not want to give up his or her rights. At Purcell, Krug & Haller, our involuntary termination of parental rights defense lawyers provide dedicated representation for parents who do not want to relinquish their parental rights.
If you are concerned that the parent of your child wants to terminate your parental rights, we can help. Contact our Pennsylvania family law attorneys online or call 717-260-3485 to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your situation.
Grounds for Termination of Parental Rights
There are a number of grounds under which a parent may seek to terminate the rights of the other parent, including:
- Abandonment for a period of at least six months
- Incompetency or neglect
- Drug addiction or criminal behavior
- The parent is not the biological parent
Our adoption lawyers can provide a number of defenses to actions that seek to terminate a parent's rights, such as fraud. A parent may interfere with the relationship of the other parent and the child or otherwise prevent the parent from seeing the child. The six month abandonment provision of the Pennsylvania Adoption Statute can present an easy, and unknowable, trap for parents, especially those that live long distances from their child. If you are not the biological parent of a child, you may still be able to assert parental rights if you have raised the child as your own. Once parental rights are gone, you cannot get them back. That is why it is important to have an experienced attorney from Purcell, Krug & Haller on your side to protect your interests.
Call for a Free Consultation With a Harrisburg Stepparent Adoption Attorney
If you are unwilling to relinquish your parental rights, speak with us. Contact our Harrisburg divorce lawyers online or call 717-260-3485 for a free initial consultation. We have offices in Harrisburg and Hershey.
