The attorneys of Cordell & Cordell present essential divorce information, resources and advice
about alimony, child support and child custody for men and fathers at any stage of divorce.

Question: 

I am pregnant with a man's child that I am no longer dating. We mutually agreed that he will have no parental rights of the child in terms of finances, visitation, custody, etc. I am trying to find out what the process would be to make this "separation" legal. How do we protect each other from future potential actions? Can his parental rights be terminated before the child is born?

Among the Ask a Divorce Lawyer questions answered today by Cordell & Cordell attorneys:

• Can my wife move out and take our kids with her if we're going through a divorce?
• If my ex wife and I get remarried, and she owes back child support to me, can we get the amount reduced or voided completely?
• Can my parental rights be terminated without my permission?
• Can my ex continue to drag me back to court every two months to try and get more child support?
• My wife and son are living in another state while we're separated. When I go to visit him,         can I take him to another place as long as it's within state boundaries?
• Do I have the right to claim my child as a dependent if my ex and I have joint custody and I          pay child support?
• If I marry a woman with kids from a previous marriage and then we end up getting a divorce,          am I required to pay child support for her children?

Question:

My nephew just found out through a DNA test that he is the father of a child who is now in foster care. The child is 10 months old and was put in foster care about 6 months ago. How does he go about getting custody of his daughter. Also, the mother of the child is a complete mess. Did she give up her parental rights when the daughter entered foster care? If not, how long does the mother of a child have to get her act together before the state will permanently terminate parental rights?

Question: I have two sons, and the oldest refuses to follow the visitation order and come and see me. My ex wife told him if I signed off my rights to him that her new husband could adopt him, which apparently my oldest son wants to happen. 

I don't want to sign off my rights to my son, but he refuses to see me. I will not be happy paying child support, medical, etc, for a child that refuses to have me in his life. 

What can I do to win fighting to see him or to sign off my rights?