Parents who are thinking about giving up parental rights to their children should think very carefully before doing so. Under family law in Wisconsin, when a parent gives up his or her parental rights, any child support obligations cease, but so do many other things. Essentially, when an individual gives up parental rights to a child, he or she has no say at all regarding any issue that could affect the child.
A parent who gives up parental rights has no right to even visit the child and it is unlikely those rights would ever be reinstated once that decision has been made. Family court judges always make decisions with the best interests of children in mind and will typically consider a number of options before ruling on parental rights. Some of those include efforts the parent has made to have a relationship with a child; how the child feels; whether the mother and/or child has been abandoned by the individual previously; whether child support payments were made and the safety of the child.
Judges usually do not like to terminate a parent’s right to a child. But if the child is in a dangerous situation or if the parent requests to give up his or her rights voluntarily — a judge will take and other variables into consideration. The courts usually look upon this move as being a last resort.
Wisconsin residents who have questions about legalities that may affect the relationships they have with their children may find it helpful to reach out to a lawyer experienced in family law. It is best to know the likely outcomes of legal decisions before they’re actually made. It is harder to back paddle in many of these circumstances instead of making a decision that is thoroughly informed.
