Michigan Laws 710.37 – Termination of rights of putative father
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(1) If the court has proof that the person whom it determines pursuant to section 36 to be the father of the child was timely served with a notice of intent to release or consent pursuant to section 34(1) or was served with or waived the notice of hearing required by section 36(3), the court may permanently terminate the rights of the putative father under any of the following circumstances:
(a) The putative father submits a verified affirmation of his paternity and a denial of his interest in custody of the child.
Terms Used In Michigan Laws 710.37
- Child: means an individual less than 18 years of age. See Michigan Laws 710.22
- Consent: means a document in which all parental rights over a specific child are voluntarily relinquished to the court for placement with a specific adoptive parent. See Michigan Laws 710.22
- Court: means the family division of circuit court of this state, or if the context requires, the court having jurisdiction over adoption in another state or country. See Michigan Laws 710.22
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 710.22
- Release: means a document in which all parental rights over a specific child are voluntarily relinquished to the department or to a child placing agency. See Michigan Laws 710.22
(b) The putative father files a disclaimer of paternity. For purposes of this section the filing of the disclaimer of paternity shall constitute a waiver of notice of hearing and shall constitute a denial of his interest in custody of the child.
(c) The putative father was served with a notice of intent to release or consent in accordance with section 34(1), at least 30 days before the expected date of confinement specified in that notice but failed to file an intent to claim paternity either before the expected date of confinement or before the birth of the child.
(d) The putative father is given proper notice of hearing in accordance with section 36(3) or 36(5) but either fails to appear at the hearing or appears and denies his interest in custody of the child.
(2) If the identity of the father cannot be determined, or if the identity of the father is known but his whereabouts cannot be determined, the court shall take evidence to determine the facts in the matter. The court may terminate the rights of the putative father if the court finds from the evidence that reasonable effort has been made to identify and locate the father and that any of the following circumstances exist:
(a) The putative father, whose identity is not known, has not made provision for the child’s care and did not provide support for the mother during her pregnancy or during her confinement.
(b) The putative father, whose identity is known but whose whereabouts are unknown, has not provided support for the mother, has not shown any interest in the child, and has not made provision for the child’s care, for at least 90 days preceding the hearing required under section 36.