Single parent adoption

A recent case in Massachusetts addressed an issue that is frequently raised by parents who don’t want to pay child support and gave the same answer as always. In the case of ADOPTION OF MARIANO, 933 N.E.2d 677 (Mass.App.Ct. 2010) the father of a child wanted to relinquish parental rights so that he wouldn’t pay child support. Whenever this issue was raised in the past the court always refused to terminate parental rights. That is because the focus is the child and not the parent. Every child deserves two parents and every child deserves child support. As a result, the courts have always refused to terminate parental rights unless another adult sought to adopt the child.
In the case of ADOPTION OF MARIANO, 933 N.E.2d 677 (Mass.App.Ct. 2010) the mother sought a single parent adoption by which the father would relinquish all rights and duties towards the child and the mother would become a single parent. This is just another attempt to terminate parental rights of the father but with a twist. In this case, the court reached the same result and denied the single parent adoption. Parents may not bargain away their children’s rights to support from either parent.