When you are the parent of a child, one of your key rights is to be able to give consent or to be able to object to the adoption of your child. If you are an unmarried father of a child, and the biological mother wants to have the child adopted, then you have the right to object. In order to be able to contest the adoption, you first must have had paternity established.
Having your paternity acknowledged
If you are struggling to have your paternity established because the mother is not acknowledging that you are the father, then you can try to establish your paternity by asking for a DNA test to be conducted. This DNA test can be used to formally determine whether or not you are the biological father of the child in question.
Being unaware of the situation
It is quite common for a child to be given away to adoption services without the father knowing. If this happens and you find out after the adoption occurs, you may be able to gain some types of parental rights after the fact.
Making a formal objection to an adoption
You have the right to make a petition for the custody of the child if you establish parental rights after the adoption has occured. As in all child custody cases, the courts will assess what outcome will be in the best interests of the child. If you can prove that you can provide a healthy environment for your child, then the courts may decide to grant you custody.
Source: FindLaw, “Parental Rights: Unmarried Fathers and Adoption,” accessed Dec. 22, 2017
