Parental Rights
A Word from Scott Shaw: Do I Have Any Legal Rights to a Child in Georgia?
It may sound strange but there may be circumstances where no adult has a legal right to a child even if their name appears on the birth certificate. A recent case came into the office involving a child whose mother died in a car crash. The mother and a female friend raised the child together…
Read MoreA Word from Scott Shaw: What gave her the right?
In the mid-1990’s when I began as a child custody attorney, and built up expertise, I wrote of a moment that I summarized as “who gave her the right?” What I meant by this is that mothers assumed they were entitled to child custody, they acted as if they were entitled to child custody, fathers…
Read MoreCan I Terminate My Parental Rights?
There are two different situations in which an individual’s parental rights may be terminated. First, a parent can voluntarily terminate his or her parental rights if, for example, another individual or couple wishes to adopt the child. This type of parental rights termination must occur before an adoption can take place under Georgia law. The…
Read MoreTher Rights of Unmarried Fathers and Mothers in Georgia Paternity and Legitimation Cases
Hello, my name is Scott Shaw, founder and principle of Shaw Law Firm, LLC. A law firm founded in 1995. Child custody, along with divorce and other areas of family law are our only area of legal practice. We don’t accept any other types of cases. In this video I will be discussing the topic…
Read MoreDoes the Mother Automatically Get Custody of a Child if She Isn’t Married to the Child’s Father?
When a child is born out of wedlock, the mother automatically has all custody rights to that child. Even if the father signs the birth certificate, he has no custody or even visitation rights to the child until one of the parties has taken steps to establish paternity or legitimize the child. This can be…
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