;

Blog Layout

Alabama Putative Father Registry

mycasewebsites2 • Jun 15, 2016

Hey! Single, unmarried fathers…I am talking to you! There’s a trap out there for you and you will not know you are caught until it is too late.  Registration with the Alabama Putative Father Registry is a prerequisite to claiming parental rights. If you fail to register within 30 days of the birth of a child you know or suspect is yours, the law states that you have irrevocably waived your right to contest an adoption of that child.

Here’s a link to a more indepth analysis of the law and the varying definitions of “father:”

The problem with this law is that there is no notice requirement, and by notice, I mean that the law does not require a single, unmarried father to be notified of the registration requirement. There is no requirement for the birthplace hospital to inform anyone about the registration requirement. Here’s a little less technical, less cordial analysis of the controlling caselaw:

I recently met with a man who had been given notice that a baby, of which he was certain he was the father, was now the subject of an adoption proceeding. Fortunately, I was able to give him some advice about how to preserve his rights to contest the adoption. If you are an unmarried male in Alabama and you have reason to believe that you have fathered a child, here is a link to the website at which you can obtain the information necessary to take action to protect your rights:

Now, of course, with those rights come responsibilities. Registering will increase the likelihood of a child support order. Also, even married fathers may waive their rights to contest an adoption by abandoning their children. I have given you the tools to protect your parental rights under the law in Alabama, whether or not you are a father to your child(ren) depends on your actions  after you register.

If you want to be a father to your children, contact me at: (251)445-0891 or ron@mcbaylaw.com. I will make sure you do everything you can to preserve that right.

 

By mycasewebsites2 29 Aug, 2018
Mobile, Alabama has its fair share of military service members, veterans, and retirees. Sometimes, those folks get divorced. When they do, the military spouse’s military retirement is subject to equitable division by the Court. Either the parties agree on the division of military retirement or the Court divides it. In any event, the non-military spouse […] The post Love is a Battlefield-VA Disability Payments in Divorce appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 24 Apr, 2018
Thankfully, I’ve recently had a spate of couples who have decided to try and make their marriages work after filing a divorce. In a couple of instances, even after a great deal of fighting and legal wrangling, I’ve had clients lay down their swords and engage in reconciliation. I love it when that happens. In […] The post Making Up Is Hard to Do appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 05 Sep, 2017
I grew up watching Sesame Street. I loved Oscar and the Cookie Monster. One of my favorite regular skits was the “One of These Things is Not Like the Other.” I loved picking out the thing that was different. Of course, there were only ever four “things,” so choosing what was different was relatively easy. […] The post What’s Different about McBay Law? appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 06 Jul, 2017
More than 30 years ago, the Georgia Satellites released a song about a marriage ultimatum: “Keep Your Hands to Yourself.” The lyrics document the struggle between the singer and his lover over the terms of their relationship. We don’t know how that story ends; whether the couple married or split up. The song came to […] The post Free Milk and a Cow: Common Law Marriage appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 06 Jun, 2017
For those of you reading my blog for the first time, I am a divorce and family law attorney who is divorced, has children, has remarried, and has another child in my current, and final marriage. Confused? Don’t be. I often write from the perspective of a Dad who has children for whom I have […] The post Step-Parents and Custody Fights appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 30 Mar, 2017
If you have children, you’ve probably seen The Incredibles. I’ve seen it a MILLION times. One of my favorite scenes is the one in which Syndrome, who has Mr. Incredible in a seemingly inescapable situation, realizes that he is monologuing. Of course, monologuing is a common theme in all sorts of hero/villain movies. The hero is […] The post Testimony in Divorce Cases: Don’t Monologue appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 22 Mar, 2017
Recent Events in Divorce and Family Law If you live in Alabama, you may know someone who has a common-law husband or wife. While only a few states recognize marriages with the absence of an official license, Alabama is no longer one of them. Before January 1, 2017, you could have avoided the ceremony, the […] The post Common Law Marriage Requires Regular Divorce appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 30 Dec, 2016
As a child of the seventies and eighties, I have vivid memories of hearing “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” as performed by Meatloaf on the radio. Of course, early on, I had no frame of reference for the story told in song about the heat of passion and the consequences. For those of you who’ve […] The post Waiting for the End of Time: Divorce in Mobile, Alabama appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 02 Nov, 2016
If you are paying or receiving alimony as part of a Divorce Order in Alabama, this one is for you. Under Alabama Law, the obligation to pay periodic alimony terminates upon the receiving party’s “cohabitation” with a member of the opposite sex. So, what does that mean? Under the case law, cohabitation is that thing […] The post The Effects of Cohabitation on Alimony in Alabama appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
By mycasewebsites2 29 Sep, 2016
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about what a mean son-of-a-bitch Brad Pitt is and that Angelina Jolie just can’t take it anymore. Multiple media outlets were eager to scoop Angelina’s side of the story about his anger management issues and how he’s a danger to the children. Lucky for Brad, […] The post If it can happen to Brad Pitt, it can happen to you. appeared first on The Law Offices of Teague and McBay.
More Posts
Share by: