My boyfriend signed over his rights to his daughter and has changed his mind, and wants them back. He was in the military at the time and thought that it would be the best thing for his little girl in case anything happened to him, and is now regreting the decision. It has been almost two years since then, and the ex-wife (and stepdad) aren't willing to work anything out. It kills me to see him so upset. Can anybody help? I believe the rights were signed over in Florida, but Im not positive. I just know that he hurts so much and I don't know if he can do anything, or where I would go to find out.
Please...any advice would be helpful. THANK YOU!
2007-12-21 01:15:50 · 4 answers · asked by hdrenollet84 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
You can always sue to have them re-instated. With our current legal system, anything is possible; look at the adoption process and the times people give up children and get them back.
2007-12-21 01:24:21 · answer #1 · answered by wizjp 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What really matters is if a Court entered an order terminating his parental rights. If not, he should exercise the rights he has. If so, he should attack it under the Soldiers' and Sailors' Relief Act which prevents him from being sued while on active duty. Any order entered during that time is voidable, if not void. Unfortunately, it will take an attorney.
** Note: This is a general discussion of the subject matter of your question and not legal advice. Local laws or your particular situation may change the general rules. For a specific answer to your question you should consult legal counsel with whom you can discuss all the facts of your case. **
2007-12-21 09:40:32 · answer #2 · answered by scottclear 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry, but as long as he was not legally insane or lied to when he signed the rights over, they are permanent.
It would be horrifying to so many people if this wasn't a permanent fix.
I feel for him, but he really needs to put this chapter of his life behind him and move on. Perhaps he can put his feelings into words in the form of a blog or traditional journal, in the hopes that if his daughter wants to find him as an adult, she will know what he went through, and that he regretted his decision.
But right now, the best thing to do is to bow out.
2007-12-21 09:25:33 · answer #3 · answered by Cleobird 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No getting around it, this is a legal matter, he will need a lawyer to sue to get his parental rights back. It is possible to get them back if he can give a compelling reason why he wants them back after giving them up. Has the step-dad adopted the little girl? this will make things more difficult for him to get his rights back, but it is still possible.
Of course the ex-wife and step-dad are not going to cooperate, he's not been a part of the child's life and they see him as a disruption to their lives.
do note that if he gets his rights back: he could be held responsible for back child support for the time period that he surrendered his rights.
2007-12-21 09:32:20 · answer #4 · answered by Invisigoth 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋