# help \[Parental rights question\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789 "2012-09-05T20:31:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kinsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@kinsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinsman)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/1 "2012-09-05T20:31:54Z")
My baby mama abandoned her four children to her mother. I have one child with her. They were all placed in the care of CPS. I voluntarily terminated my parental rights and the courts involuntarily terminated the mothers rights. The grandmother is trying to get custody. I wanted my child to be adopted by others, that was the whole purpose of me terminating my rights. I’ve been paying child support to the mother and now it says I have a case being open for the grandmother. I thought once I terminated my rights my child is suppose to be adopted and the grandmother has the legal and financial responsibility? What do I do if the attorney general opens a case? Am I obligated to pay on that child that is no longer mine? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/2 "2012-09-05T20:42:13Z")
Hi kinsman. Welcome to our forum. I am going to move your thread to In My Humble Opinion, where you should find some people willing to take a shot at your question. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/3 "2012-09-05T20:46:37Z")
The grandmother technically has no ‘rights.’ However, CPS is likely to place the children (potentially for a later full adoption) with family members before considering a stranger adoption. If you know of reasons that your child should not be in the care of the grandmother, you should bring those to the attention of CPS but given that you have signed your rights away, your input is no different in this case than a stranger walking in off the street. If your rights have been recently signed away, you may be able to get them back (here you are allowed 30 days to change your mind). Once you have the rights back, you will likely be able to place your child for adoption with a private agency where you can choose the adoptive family. ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/4 "2012-09-06T14:29:49Z")
> [@kinsman](#): > > My baby mama abandoned her four children to her mother. I have one child with her. They were all placed in the care of CPS. I voluntarily terminated my parental rights and the courts involuntarily terminated the mothers rights. The grandmother is trying to get custody. I wanted my child to be adopted by others, that was the whole purpose of me terminating my rights. I’ve been paying child support to the mother and now it says I have a case being open for the grandmother. I thought once I terminated my rights my child is suppose to be adopted and the grandmother has the legal and financial responsibility? What do I do if the attorney general opens a case? Am I obligated to pay on that child that is no longer mine? From what I understand, you can’t sign away your obligation to pay child support unless the child is adopted by another person. If grandma is granted custody, you’d still be on the hook unless she legally adopts the child. It would probably be stupid of her to do since not doing so would allow her to continue to get money from you for support. The courts will decide what is in the best interest of the child. If grandma is determined to be that, you’ll stay on the hook. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/5 "2012-09-06T14:31:09Z")
Am I correct in thinking that you want control over who raises your child not because you want whats best for the kid but so you don’t have to pay child support? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/6 "2012-09-06T15:07:30Z")
Took less than 10 seconds google “texas child support laws” > [@](#): > > Sec. 154.001. SUPPORT OF CHILD. (a) The court may order either or both parents to support a child in the manner specified by the order: > (1) until the child is 18 years of age or until graduation from high school, whichever occurs later; > (2) until the child is emancipated through marriage, through removal of the disabilities of minority by court order, or by other operation of law; > (3) until the death of the child; or > (4) if the child is disabled as defined in this chapter, for an indefinite period. > > **(a-1) The court may order each person who is financially able and whose parental rights have been terminated with respect to a child in substitute care for whom the department has been appointed managing conservator to support the child in the manner specified by the order: > (1) until the earliest of: > (A) the child’s adoption; > (B) the child’s 18th birthday or graduation from high school, whichever occurs later; > (C) removal of the child’s disabilities of minority by court order, marriage, or other operation of law; or > (D) the child’s death; or > (2) if the child is disabled as defined in this chapter, for an indefinite period.** So to answer your question. Sure looks that way. ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/7 "2012-09-06T18:46:05Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > Am I correct in thinking that you want control over who raises your child not because you want whats best for the kid but so you don’t have to pay child support? I assume this is exactly why he did it. If this were legal, there would be lousy fathers all over the place sighing away legal rights to not be obligated to support the children they helped create. Since he seems more concerned about his financial obligations than what is in the best interest of the child, money seems to be the motivating factor. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/8 "2012-09-06T19:11:33Z")
How did you not make yourself aware that the preferred placement is always, always with blood relatives where possible? And, if this point was so important to you, why would you terminate your rights, _before_ it was dealt with to your satisfaction? I’m not seeing how you get a say now. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-parental-rights-question/633789/9 "2012-09-06T19:39:29Z")
User name : Kinsman Join Date: Sept. 5, 2012 Total Posts: 1 Thread topic: I don’t want to pay support for my abandoned child. Incidentally, nice user name / topic combo.