If you are a father and the mother of your child wants to put him or her up for adoption in Nebraska, it is essential that you understand your rights in this situation. It can get complex because your rights rely on different circumstances of the situation. You need to determine your legal rights to the child to begin understanding your legal rights in an adoption.
Adoptions From The Heart explains an adoption does require consent from you and the mother. However, it is possible in some situations that your consent may be given without your say. The most likely case is when you were not married to the mother and you have not established your parental rights.
If the mother does not disclose that she thinks you are the father, you could lose all rights to your child. That is why if you suspect you are the father of a child, you should take the steps required to establish paternity and get your legal rights to the child. Once you have those legal rights, the court will have to get your direct consent for the adoption to proceed.
If you were married to the mother, then you have your parental rights, so the court should seek you out for consent. However, keep in mind that if you have not had contact with the child or you are not in contact with the mother, the court may be unable to notify you. In that case, if the notification period runs out and you have not made an appearance, your child may be put up for adoption. In a case like this, a notice is often published in the local newspaper as a way to try to alert you. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
