Courts may end parental rights in some spouse adoption cases

A court may end the other parent's rights when a parent's spouse seeks to adopt the child. This applies when a parent’s spouse petitions to adopt the child and the other parent is a legal or acknowledged father, or is a putative father who meets the referenced conditions. The court must give notice and hold a hearing. The other parent must have been able to provide support and must have failed to provide regular, substantial support for at least two years before the petition, or failed to substantially follow a support order. A support order setting support at $0 or reserving support is treated like no support order. The other parent must also have been able to visit, contact, or communicate with the child and regularly and substantially failed to do so for at least two years before the petition. Both periods of failure must last at least two years before the adoption petition is filed.