Unmarried fathers nationwide, including in Texas, may be interested in the child custody battle of a father in another state. After eight years, this father has not given up and continues to fight for sole custody of his child. While child custody laws may vary by state, the dynamics of unmarried fathers fighting for their parental rights may be similar.
This drama started in 2007 after a man learned that his girlfriend was expecting his child. Because he suspected that she might relocate to be closer to her family in another state, he filed a petition for parental rights in his home state in which the mother became pregnant. As expected, the mother moved to another state, and upon the baby’s birth in 2008, the mother had already agreed to her brother and his wife adopting the newborn.
Nevertheless, the father did not give up, and in 2014 a judge in the mother’s new home state found that the adoption was not legal because the father was not informed. However, he considered the importance of the bond the adoptive parents had established with the girl over the first six years of her life. For this reason, the judge awarded the father only partial child custody.
The battle continues, and the father has filed an appeal for sole custody in the Court of Appeals in his home state, seeking the partial custody ruling to be overturned. This man’s plight may encourage unmarried fathers in Texas not to give up if they want to be a part of the lives of their children. No father has to fight this battle alone. With the guidance and support of an experienced child custody attorney, the father’s parental rights will be protected while working on a solution that will also protect the best interests of the child.
Source: 9news.com, “Father appeals for custody of illegally-adopted daughter”, TaRhonda Thomas, Aug. 11, 2015