Parental Rights

Recent Posts in the Parental Rights Category

  • Getting Divorced While Pregnant: The Legal Issues

    Getting Divorced While Pregnant: The Legal Issues When a couple is in the midst of divorce, pregnancy can be incredibly stressful. While some couples may choose to postpone the divorce until after the child is born, others may feel waiting isn’t an option. Can You Get a Divorce While Pregnant? Yes, in the state of Washington, you are allowed to finalize your divorce even if you are pregnant. Although the courts cannot prevent you from divorcing simply because a spouse is pregnant, you may encounter some legal issues as you begin the dissolution process. Will the Other ...
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  • What Happens if the Father is Not on the Birth Certificate?

    What Happens if the Father is Not on the Birth Certificate? When a father is not listed on a birth certificate, it brings both legal and social implications. The absence of the father's name can significantly affect the child's rights, including inheritance, access to family medical history, and social security benefits, as well as the child's emotional well-being. Additionally, it can impact the father’s legal responsibilities and rights concerning custody, visitation, and child support. This blog aims to shed light on these specifics and provide insight into steps you can take to ...
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  • Preventing a Co-parent From Taking a Child Out of the Country

    Preventing a Co-parent From Taking a Child Out of the Country If you are married to a citizen of another country, have children, and are divorcing or considering a divorce, it is natural to fear what would happen if your spouse were to take your children out of the country. If this happens, it can be difficult to bring the child back to the United States. Is there a way to prevent this from happening? Please note: If you are facing a custody situation where this is an issue, it is important to contact a family law attorney experienced in international matters right away to advise you ...
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  • Parenting Rights for Stepparents

    Parenting Rights for Stepparents Roughly 40% of all married couples with children in the U.S. are blended families. With so many stepparents raising their spouse's children, the question of parental rights and legal guardianship is commonly raised when it comes to matters like discipline, medical decisions, and where the children will attend school. It is important to note that stepparents do not automatically have the right to make legal decisions for their stepchildren simply by virtue of their relationship to them. In order to obtain this right, a ...
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  • Establishing Paternity in Washington State

    Establishing Paternity in Washington State Two people in a marriage or domestic partnership are automatically presumed to be the parents of any child born inside their relationship. When the birth mom is single, the only presumption is that she is the mother. The mother is automatically given full custody of the child. Unlike married couples, there is no presumed father of a child born to an unmarried mother. Until paternity is established, a single mom cannot ask the court to order child support until proving paternity nor can a father petition for child custody. ...
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  • What Does It Mean to Terminate Parental Rights?

    What Does It Mean to Terminate Parental Rights? Terminating an individual’s parental rights is a very serious matter, whether the court takes away those rights or the parent relinquishes them willingly. In any parent-child relationship, the biological parents inherently have certain rights and responsibilities regarding their children. If, in any situation, those responsibilities are not being upheld, the court may terminate parental rights if it is in the best interest of the child. Or, a parent may choose to voluntarily give up his or her rights, forfeiting any right to ...
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  • What is a Parenting Plan Modification?

    What is a Parenting Plan Modification? Life is rarely, if ever, consistent, especially where children are involved. When our jobs, living situation, financial stability, or personal affairs change, it is only natural that other aspects of our lives adjust to reflect that. If something in your life or the life of your co-parent changes, a modification to your parenting plan may be in order. Parenting plans may become outdated or certain rules may no longer be applicable as time goes on and life changes. Whatever the reason, if a modification to your parenting plan ...
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  • What Are the Parental Rights of Unmarried Parents?

    What Are the Parental Rights of Unmarried Parents? Child custody is often complicated, but when the parents are unmarried, establishing parental rights can make custody, visitation, and child support more problematic. When two people have a child out of wedlock, custody of the child is immediately awarded to the mother, though the father may pursue custody for a variety of reasons. To better understand your rights as a parent, we’ve outlined some of the general rules relating to the custody of children of unmarried parents. The Mother’s Rights Unmarried and married parents ...
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