When a parent is expecting a new baby in Morris County, New Jersey, he or she can be filled with a variety of emotions including excitement, anxiousness and quite often, fear. Having a child is a big responsibility, and it can be intimidating to think about. However, a parent’s excitement about having a child often makes up for this fear.
One father who was robbed of the opportunity to meet and raise his new son is suing the mother of the child for $130 million. The man says the mother gave the child up for adoption without his consent and failed to notify him when the child was born.
The two met in 2009 when the woman was still legally married to her estranged husband. They broke up sometime before the baby was born, but agreed to share the responsibility of raising the child together. The man says that he trusted the woman to do what she said she would do, but when he learned of the baby’s adoption a week after it happened, he realized he should have filed for paternity sooner. Because the woman was married to another man, that man was legally presumed to be the father and had the right to give the child up for adoption in the state where they lived.
The biological father is currently trying to gain custody of his son who is now three years old. Because this can be a very complicated case, he would be well advised to seek out the help of an attorney experienced in family law.
Source: Good Morning America, “Dad Files $130M Suit, Alleging His Son Was Unknowingly Put Up for Adoption,” Aditi Roy, Jan. 2, 2014