What does legal custody mean in Indiana?

What does legal custody mean in Indiana?

Legal custody concerns a parent’s right to make important decisions in a child’s life, such as educational, cultural, medical, and religious decisions. Parents can share legal custody or one parent may have sole legal custody. A child’s best interests are at the heart of any custody decision in Indiana.

What does legal physical custody mean?

Physical custody is a parent’s right to have the child to reside with him or her. Physical custody may be granted solely to one parent. It is rare for a parent to have sole physical custody of a child, however, unless the court finds his or her co-parent to be unfit.

Can a child refuse visitation in Indiana?

At What Age Can a Child Refuse Visitation in Indiana? However, a parent should have regular visitation as long as it doesn’t harm the child. The primary custodial parent has an obligation to ensure that the child is available for visits with the noncustodial parent as set forth in the custody order.

What is considered child abandonment in Indiana?

A. Abandonment: A parent’s or custodian’s act of leaving a child without adequate care, supervision, support, or parental contact for an excessive period of time; an expressed or implied intention to sever the parent-child relationship and avoid the obligations arising from the relationship.

How many days is considered child abandonment in Indiana?

In other words, a custodial or non-custodial parent may be said to have abandoned or deserted a child. Pursuant to Indiana Code § 31-19-9-8(a)(1), the period of abandonment must last for at least six months immediately preceding the filing of a petition for adoption.

How long does a father have to be absent to lose his rights in Indiana?

six months

How hard is it to terminate parental rights?

Keep in mind that to win a case to terminate parental rights, you’ll need to present very persuasive evidence to the court, such as lack of contact, lack of support, abandonment, abuse, neglect, ongoing indifference, or failure to care for the child.

Can a dad just sign over his rights?

A parent cannot just sign over his rights to avoid child support. Even if he chooses not to pursue rights regarding parenting time or decision-making, he will still have the obligation to support his child and you can work with the state to get the support established.

Can I give up my rights as a father and not pay child support?

Generally, your obligation to pay child support terminates when your parental rights are terminated and/or the child is adopted by someone else. However, unless there is someone to take your place as a parent, you would not be generally permitted to voluntarily relinquish your parental rights.

Can a father sign over his rights and not pay child support?

However, you should note that voluntary termination of parental rights must usually coincide with an adoption of the children by another parent — a party cannot terminate his or her custodial rights simply to avoid a child support obligation.

How much does it cost to sign over parental rights?

When you file your paperwork, you probably will have to pay a filing fee. Although the fees vary among jurisdictions, you can generally expect to pay between $200 and $500. In some jurisdictions, there’s no filing fee for termination of parental rights if your petition is filed in conjunction with an adoption.

Does legal custody affect child support?

Legal Custody Both parents usually have equal access to the child’s educational and health records. Joint legal custody does not affect child support.

Did mother give up rights to the child?

Regardless, if a mother gives up full custody of her children, she loses her right to make decisions regarding her child. All parenting decisions are the sole responsibility of the father or the person who has legal and physical custody of the child. However, the mother may retain visitation rights with her child.