Proposed Changes To Ohio Adoption Laws Will Erode Putative Fathers’ Rights
Reduction In Contest Time To Favor Adoption Parents In The State Of Ohio
On January 29, 2014, the Ohio House of Representatives passed Substitute HB 307, the “Adoption Reform Bill” or, as dubbed by some, the “Make Adoption Cheap and Fast Bill.” Ohio Right to Life groups advocated and lobbied for the Bill’s passage. The Bill was proposed and passed in the general assembly with seventy seven (77) affirmative votes and only fourteen (14) negative votes.
Why is HB 307 important?
HB 307 is very important due to the significant time changes it imposes on putative fathers, the tax benefits it provides for adoptive families, and the clarifications it makes to previous legislation. Many family-law practitioners are expressing concerns that the steep reduction in putative fathers’ rights further erodes the already declining rights of putative fathers in Ohio. To be clear, a “putative father” is one believed to be the father of a child born out of wedlock (without benefit of marriage), unless proved otherwise.
What does HB 307 propose for putative fathers?
HB 307 sets forth six (6) substantial changes to the present statutes governing adoptions. The … Read More... “Adoption in Ohio: Sweeping Changes May be on the Horizon”