Asking the court to terminate someone’s parental rights isn’t easy — and it shouldn’t be. The parent-child bond is incredibly important. For the most part, the courts always hope to preserve that bond whenever possible.
However, Texas law does allow for the termination of someone’s parental rights for a number of different reasons, only some of which include:
- The use of controlled substances or alcohol during pregnancy that leaves the baby “born addicted”
- Abandoning the child to another relative with no intention of returning
- Abandoning the child to another relative without adequate support
- Knowingly endangering the child’s physical or emotional well-being or allowing the child to stay in a situation that would likely do so
- Abandoning the child’s mother during the pregnancy and staying away after the birth while also failing to provide financial support
- Being convicted of a crime involving the sexual assault, physical injury or death of another child
- Failing to follow a court order that outlines the steps needed to regain custody rights or visitation rights with a child when there is involvement by the Department of Family and Protective Services
Some people simply aren’t cut out to be parents — even if they have children. Maybe they’re too caught up in their own wants and needs to make the sacrifices necessary to raise a child. Maybe they’re just simply damaged people whose problems eclipse their parental instincts. If you believe that it might be time to cut the legal ties between your child and their other parent, find out more about your options.
