If you’re an expectant birth mother, you’re likely reading this article because you’re wondering how birth father rights in Missouri might affect your adoption.

Often when we discuss adoption, we focus more on the prospective birth mother facing the decision than we focus on the baby’s birth father. This is not to say, however, that the birth father isn’t also an important part of an adoption situation. It’s important for everyone involved in an adoption to know his rights, and birth fathers do have rights in Missouri.

However, birth father rights in Missouri adoptions — and adoptions in any state — can be incredibly complex, and the details can vary on a case-by-case basis. For example, many women wonder how to adopt a child without the father’s consent in Missouri, whether that’s because the relationship with the birth father is not great, or because the father is uninvolved or unknown. It’s a valid question to ask — but the answer is complicated and depends on a number of factors. In any case, the rights of biological fathers in adoption in Missouri are not to be overlooked.

That’s why it’s so important to work closely with your adoption specialist and an adoption attorney to understand the birth father’s rights in your situation. Nothing you read online can tell you for sure what rights the birth father has in your situation or whether you can pursue an adoption without the father’s consent in Missouri, and this article should not be taken as legal advice. Instead, you can get answers to your specific questions now by calling 1-800-ADOPTION or getting free information here.

If you’re a prospective adoptive parent reading this article, you might have questions about Missouri adoption laws. You can get more information on adoption laws in Missouri and how they could affect you here.

In the meantime, here are some general pieces of information you need to know about birth father rights in Missouri.

How Does Missouri’s Putative Father Registry Affect the Birth Father’s Rights?

A putative father registry is a system for men to voluntarily acknowledge that they are or may be the father of a child conceived outside of marriage. A putative father is someone who’s legal relationship to a child isn’t established, but who claims to be the father of the child. In Missouri, entering in the putative father registry means that a man will be notified should the mother choose adoption for her baby.

However, even if a man registers with the putative father registry, this does not necessarily mean that the mother won’t be able to continue with her plan for adoption in Missouri, even possibly without consent from the alleged birth father. If you have questions about the putative father registry and whether the birth father will receive notice of adoption proceedings in your situation, contact an adoption specialist at 1-800-ADOPTION.

Does the father have to give consent for adoption in Missouri?

Every adoption situation is different, and whether the father’s consent is required in your adoption will depend on your individual circumstances. However, in general, there are some scenarios in which a birth father may have to consent to an adoption, which your adoption specialist can explain in more detail. If one of these scenarios applies to you and a man has legal parental rights to a child, he will receive notice of any court proceedings regarding the child, including adoption petitions or any actions to terminate his parental rights.

There are, however, some instances in which a woman may be able to pursue adoption without parental consent from the father in Missouri. American Adoptions has assisted many birth mothers in creating an adoption plan, with or without the father’s involvement or support. Due to our own personal adoption experience, we are equipped to navigate birth father rights and understand how confusing and frustrating these situations can be.

Birth mothers who work with American Adoptions come from all different backgrounds and have many different types of relationships with the father of their baby. Our adoption specialists have worked with women who were:

• Married or in a committed relationship with their baby’s birth father

• Separated or divorcing the birth father

• In a new relationship with the baby’s father at the time of their pregnancy

• On good terms with the father of their baby, even if they weren’t in a relationship at the time

• In an unhealthy relationship with the birth father

• Not certain who the father of their baby was or how to contact him

That’s not to say that every woman in every situation will be able to place a baby up for adoption without the father’s consent in Missouri. But, even if your relationship with the birth father is complicated, you should not let that prevent you from exploring your adoption options.

Please remember that this article does not serve as legal advice, and birth father laws vary on a case-by-case basis and are subject to change.

For more information about how to proceed with an adoption without a father in Missouri call 1-800-ADOPTION or click here to get connected with an adoption specialist who will get to know the specifics of your circumstances.

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