Termination of Parental Rights Colorado
Parents may terminate their parental rights in certain cases if they feel it best for the child. Colorado courts can also terminate these rights if the parent is found unfit and if it believes it is in the child’s best interest.
When your parental rights are taken away, it means you are no longer your child’s legal parent. In these cases, you must act to take back your rights and make sure that you meet the requirements to do so.
Can other persons intervene to terminate parental rights in Colorado?
Parents are also subject to having their rights revoked against their will. The present parent, relatives, foster parents, or guardian ad litem have the right to intervene in terminating paternal rights. They may act when a parent comes back to their child after years of withdrawing support or who have been serving time in prison. Addicts and parents who physically abuse a child are also candidates for having their parental rights revoked.
What are the reasons for the involuntary termination of parental rights in Colorado?
A Colorado court may order the termination of a parent’s rights to their child if clear and convincing evidence is found which proves:
- The parent has been found to be unfit due to mental or emotional incapacity
- Long-time imprisonment of the parent
- The child has been abandoned by the parents
- A one-time incident resulting in serious physical injury of the child
- Serious physical injury or death of a sibling due to parental abuse or neglect
- Sexual abuse, extreme cruelty, or torture of the child, a sibling, or another child of either parent.
- The parent’s failure to attend visitations with the child
- The parent is unfit and unlikely to change within a reasonable time
When the court considers revoking parental rights, the principal concern is the best interest of the child. In Colorado, the assurance that a child is provided a stable and secure home environment where they may develop physically, emotionally, and intellectually surpasses the parent’s rights to maintain a relationship with a child.
Can parental rights be reinstated in Colorado?
Courts take the termination of parental rights seriously. A significant amount of time is spent in considering whether taking away parental rights is the right decision or not.
Colorado allows for the reinstatement of parental rights even after they have been terminated. This might happen if no permanent placement for the child has been found within a certain amount of time. A court can also determine if the parent is now capable of providing a safe and stable home for the child.
Parents subject to this scrutiny are frequently offered various approaches to recover their rights. These includes undergoing rehabilitation, participating in family therapy, parenting classes, and other efforts.
The situations cited above are quite rare, however. The courts will not accommodate all your efforts just because you have regrets or changed your decision. Still, if you believe you may be at risk for having your parental rights revoked, seek the counsel of a competent attorney. You can be assured you’ll get the best legal advice possible and will be properly represented in court.
Are there other choices to the termination of parental rights?
Relinquishing parental rights or attempting to take away the rights of a parent are serious decisions. Before taking these actions, some other things should be considered. These include:
- Modifying visitation orders
- Striving for supervised visitation
- Submitting to counseling and mediation
- Looking for a reduction or other changes to child support orders
- Giving guardianship or temporary custody to another
- Being compliant with directions from social services and other government agencies
- Settling conflicts in court when doing so with the other parent fails
Develop a plan of action with the help of an experienced family law attorney
Whether you are a person who wants to terminate the rights of a parent or a parent whose rights are filed for revocation, you must come up with a plan of action with the help of a skilled attorney.
No matter what your circumstances are, our family law attorneys will help build a convincing case on your behalf. Arrange an initial consultation by calling us at (303) 656-9529 or email us by using the contact form on this page.
