The law and courts in general favor keeping families together and parents with their children, and only sparingly grants termination of parental rights. These rights may only be terminated pursuant to a proceeding after someone files a petition for termination of those rights in juvenile court and the court ensures that both the child and parent are adequately represented, including assigning an attorney to the child. A hearing is conducted by a judge within 90 days after the petition is filed. Throughout the process, Georgia courts are primarily concerned with the best interest of the child.
State law considers the following factors as grounds for termination of parental rights:
The court may terminate parental rights of a parent if:
In determining whether the child is without proper parental care and control, the court considers:
If the child is not in custody of the parent, the court will also look at whether the parent has failed to do the following for one year or longer
If you are dealing with a parental rights issue, Edwards & Associates can help. Our Atlanta attorneys have served Georgia for more than a decade, and we are please to put our experience to work for you. Call (770) 854-0777 or contact us online to schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys.