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:

http://divorceinfo.com/alabama-paternity-its-the-registry-stupid.htm

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:

http://dhr.alabama.gov/services/Adoption/Putative_Father_Registry.aspx

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.

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