Are you currently living in Massachusetts and having an unplanned pregnancy? If so, you’re likely already considering your options: parenting, adoption, and abortion. If you’re considering adoption in Massachusetts, you may also wonder what rights the father of the child has.
There are usually three kinds of birth fathers for expectant mothers who are considering adoption:
- Birth fathers who support adoption
- Birth fathers who don’t support adoption.
- Birth fathers who are unknown
People become pregnant under all sorts of circumstances. Some mothers considering adoption are in a loving relationship with the father, but some mothers may not have a relationship with the father, nor think that they should be beholden to parenthood with them. Whether or not you know or are in a relationship with the father of your child, it’s still important to consider what role fathers have in adoption.
If you’re considering adoption and want to know more about birth father’s rights after adoption in Massachusetts, then you should get more information from an adoption specialist or adoption attorney. This guide is only intended to provide helpful advice and should not be used in place of a licensed legal professional in Massachusetts for those who wonder what rights a biological father has in and after adoption in Massachusetts.
Supportive Birth Fathers in Massachusetts
Birth fathers in Massachusetts may be supportive of your decision to put your child up for adoption, and if so then the process becomes a little easier to navigate. Legally speaking, having a supportive birth father—regardless of whether or not they are your husband or partner—makes adoption easier to navigate than having an unsupportive birth father. That being said, even if the father does not support adoption, adoption may still be possible in Massachusetts.
Unsupportive Birth Fathers in Massachusetts
If the birth father is unsupportive of your decision to put your child up for adoption, then you might wonder what rights the birth father has after adoption. Because there is conflict between your wishes and his wishes, you may wonder what rights he has, if any, to prevent you from pursuing adoption.
Unfortunately, the rights of birth fathers in adoption are a complex and changing legal matter. If the father of your child disagrees with your choice of adoption, then reaching out to an adoption specialist is your best option to receive reliable and up-to-date information. Certain factors, such as the ability of the birth father to financially provide for you and your child, may determine what rights a birth father has in adoption. Even if the birth father does not support your decision, adoption may still be an option for you.
Other Roles of Fathers
Some fathers may be in and out of the birth mother’s life for various reasons: the relationship could be rocky, the father could be away for a number of reasons, or the father may even be unknown. In all cases, if the father is supportive of the adoption, then it’s easy to proceed forward with the adoption as you normally would. Meaning that you should proceed by:
- Reaching out to an adoption specialist
- Develop an adoption and hospital plan
- Select your type of adoption, select an adoptive family
- And plan for life after the birth
Conversely, if the biological father is unsupportive of your choice of adoption, then you should:
- Reach out to an adoption specialist
- Discuss what kinds of legal support are available to you.
State laws vary, and a legal expert would best advise you under shifting legal circumstances. While you may not want to inform the father of your pregnancy for a variety of reasons—they could be abusive, unsupportive, or you might fear what parenting with them would be like.
Because laws can be in flux, it’s always best that you reach out to an adoption specialist to discuss what options are available to you. Adoption, even though the father is unsupportive, may still be an option for you. Contact us to get in touch with an adoption specialist for advice on legal matters.
