Adoption With or Without the Birth Father
When women find themselves facing an unplanned pregnancy, not all birth fathers may be supportive of a woman’s choice to place their child for adoption. Some common questions we hear are, “Can I give my baby up for adoption without the father’s consent in Arizona?” or “Does the father have to give consent for adoption?”
In our years of experience assisting pregnant women with their unplanned pregnancies, we’ve come across many different adoption situations where birth fathers are unknown, unsupportive, uninterested, or even enthusiastically involved in the adoption process. While we usually encourage a birth father to be involved in the adoption process, we understand that many prospective birth mothers have complex relationships with their baby’s birth father, and that’s okay. Whether that’s because a birth father is abusive, is in jail, is pressuring her into a choice she doesn’t want to make, is unknown or missing, or is involved in another complicated situation, we can help by explaining what adoption options are available to you.
The laws regarding adoption without parental consent in Arizona and other states are complicated, so any prospective birth mother should work with an attorney to ensure her adoption plan is legally sound and handled ethically. When you contact our law offices, we will talk in depth about your particular situation, your relationship with the baby’s birth father, and your options for proceeding with your adoption plan. This advice is always free to you. We will work closely with you to find the best solution to your unplanned pregnancy.
We can also assist you in an adoption plan where the baby’s birth father wants to be involved. For many prospective birth mothers, having a supportive birth father by her side during the process can make it much easier, especially when determining together what kind of life they want for their baby. A supportive prospective birth father can help you decide what you want your adoption and hospital plan to look like, help you choose an adoptive family for your baby, and even be a part of your open adoption with your baby’s adoptive family. He can also be a great source of emotional support during your adoption process. Depending on your relationship, you might invite him to be as involved as he wants to be (and as much as you’re comfortable with) throughout your adoption process.