questions & answers

Question: I am a single mother of an 8 year old. The father of my child left us when my son was only 3 months old. The father recently contacted me and made it clear that he does not want any obligations with our son. He has not paid child support for 8 years. The father of my son is willing to give up his rights completely. We want to get this done as soon as possible. What can I do? I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 4 years ago and would like complete guardianship so that in the event that I was to pass on because of my sickness that my son is taken over by my sister who is a very stable person.

Answer: You will need to formalize his relinquishment of parental rights with the court.  You really need to discuss the issue with a family law attorney who can help you be sure the documentation is air tight.  There are 3 programs in Arizona that you can use to get some inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the Modest Means Program.  For a $75.00 fee, the Modest Means Program will arrange a one hour consult with an experienced attorney.  The telephone number is (866) 637-5341. Both the Maricopa County Bar Association and the Pima County Bar Association have lawyer referral services that offer a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consultation for a fee of $40.00. The telephone number is (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consultation for a fee of $35.00.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.