Termination of Parental Rights

This is the most serious lawsuit a parent can find themselves in. The reason being, if the termination is successful, it cuts off all rights and obligations between that parent and child. The parent no longer has a right to visitation, or a right to contact the minor child. 

This sort of trial is a two-part process: adjudication and then disposition. The adjudication phase requires the court to find that a single ground exists. If the Petitioner is able to prove their case to the court that one ground pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §7B-1111 exists, the court then moves to disposition. In that phase, all parties bear the burden to prove what is in the minor child’s best interest. 

Given the serious nature of the proceedings, the courts in Alamance County, North Carolina automatically appoint court-appointed counsel to parents for representation in these cases. Representation and guidance in this sort of lawsuit is absolutely necessary to ensure all requirements under the law are met and the parent is competently and effectively advocated for.