Termination of Parental Rights

Five Distinct Grounds for Terminating Parental Rights in New Jersey.

These grounds are stated in NJSA 30:4C-15:

• If the parent or parents have been convicted of abandonment, neglect, cruelty, or abuse of the child.
• The best interests of the child require placement under guardianship.
• The guardian or parent of the child has failed to correct the conditions or circumstances that led to the child being removed from the home after a year despite being financially and physically able to do so even with efforts of the Department of Children and Families assistance.
• The parent willingly abandoned the child.
• The parent has been convicted of murder, aggravated manslaughter or manslaughter of the child’s other parent or to have abetted, aided, conspired, solicited, or attempted to commit such crime against the child or another child of the parent or committed or attempted to commit an assault that could have or did result in significant bodily injury to the child or the child’s other parent, or the parent committed an act that was serious enough to have or did cause serious bodily injury or death of the child’s other parent or another child of the parent.

If you are facing a situation where your parental rights are being involuntarily terminated or if you are wanting to voluntarily terminate your parental rights so a child can be adopted, you need the guidance of a New Jersey termination of parental rights lawyer.