JUVENILE LAW

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As a father, with a child born out of wed-lock, before you can petition for custody, you have to establish paternity.  As a father, you are required to support your child until or unless you surrender your parental rights or your parental rights are terminated.  This can cost you a lot of money in back child support if you wait to establish paternity.  Consult with an attorney.

If you are a parent who has a child born out of wed-lock and want custody of your child, you have to file a petition for custody.  Juvenile court has jurisdiction to grant you relief for your petition for custody of your child.  An attorney can effectively petition the courts for custody with the necessary information that can support you getting custody.

The State of Tennessee, or another petitioner with standing, can step-in, without notice, and remove a child from the custody of a parent when the petition alleges that a child is dependent and neglected.  If your child has been removed from your custody because of a petition in juvenile court that your child is dependent and neglected in your care, you have the right to be heard in front of a judge or magistrate within 72 hours for a probable cause determination.  It is important that you consult with an attorney as soon as possible so that your parental rights are protected.

A petition from the State of Tennessee Department of Children's Services that alleges you have committed severe child abuse can result in grounds for termination of your parental rights.  Speaking to anyone other than your attorney can jeopardize your rights and the results of the petition for severe abuse.

A termination of parental rights has the effect of forever severing you rights to parent your child.  If your parental rights are terminated, you will be regarded as a complete stranger to your child, with no rights to parent, communicate or visit your child.

The juvenile court can award you child support if you are a parent with a child born out of wed-lock, and the other parenting is not supporting the child.  A petition for child support has to be filed before the courts can force the other parent to pay support.  Both parents are required to provide support for a child from the child's date of birth until the age of 18.