As a parent who is trying your best to raise your children, it is frustrating to you when you see that their other parent has again failed to pick them up on time from an event or for scheduled custody time. The last time they came to get your children, they smelled of alcohol, and you refused to let them go.
A neighbor of the other parent that you know well admitted that she’d seen him drinking before driving your children places. They were willing to be a witness if needed. You are exhausted by the issues your ex-spouse has and how he’s treating your children. You want to end his parental rights, so you can keep your children safe.
It’s not always easy to end a person’s parental rights, but if you can show that the other parent is unfit, it may be possible. Terminations are generally the last resort. Judges may be unwilling to terminate a parent’s rights, instead reducing visitation time or requiring visitation with supervision.
It’s important that your children do receive the most responsible and secure upbringing, so you should take steps to note all of the ways your ex-spouse has harmed your children or could have harmed them, such as:
- Leaving them at home alone when they’re too young
- Driving drunk with them in the vehicle
- Failing to feed them or take care of them well
- Allowing them to wear soiled clothing
- Or other serious problems.
If your ex-spouse is unfit to care for your children, then a termination of their parental rights could be one way to stop them from seeing your children in the future.