Minor Daughter is Pregnant

[CJ Hurtig]

What is the name of your state? Texas

My 17 year old daughter is 2 1/2 months pregnant. The father is 17, turning 18 in June, 2004.

Father's parents will not allow him to work and they are not helping with any medical bills related to pregnancy. Parents say they will not allow their son to work. Believe this is to prevent my daughter from gaining child support.

What can she do prior to birth, if anything?

What steps should she take after?

Does it matter if the baby carries his last name, or not?

My daughter's entire life has changed and it is costing us all the medical and support expenses. My daughter works and graduates in May a year early from high school. She will attend college and work when the baby is born. We want the father to take responsibility financially as well and hopefully be involved in the baby's life but will not force the involvement. Will insist he is financially responsible. My thought as a parent is both should take responsibility for bringing a child into the world.

Thank you for any legal advice you may have. Any programs my daughter could apply for would also help.

Our income is over $100K so I am not certain, since she is our dependant if she can file for anything?

 

[BL]

Financially with your income I doubt she could receive any financial assistance since she is under 18 & living at home.

As far as Child Support , talk to the Child Support Agency .

Once your Daughter is 18 she should be able to file for Support.

Since he turns 18 before she does,maybe the CS agency can start collection activity when he's 18.

As far as the child's last name ? I Suppose it's up to mom .

Paternity may have to be established if he contest fatherhood.

As far as his parents not letting him work ?

In the end he will have to pay CS somehow, or they may wish to pay it for him.

 

[Lil Miss Smarty Panties]

And...he can not be forced to provide any financial support of any kind before the baby is born. You'll have to foot the bill until then.

 

[nextwife]

And, just as you feel your daughter should complete college and not go to work, his parents likely feel the same way and don't believe kids should stop their education. There are people who feel that teens should put off parenting until they finish college.

What they really should do is share parenting responsibility, time and expense EQUALLY and equally pursue their educations.

 

[lsut1ger]

OR consider adoption?

Life isn't going to be easy on your daughter....no matter how much assistance she gets.

There's plenty of loving, caring individuals who would love the opportunity to raise this child...and your daughter could move on with her dreams and goals.

Just food for thought....

 

[nextwife]

Exactly what I was thinking. Babies deserve parents who aren't almost babies themselves. Why possibly ruin three lives (mom, dad and the baby)? Your daughter has plenty of years before she should be playing mom. Being physically capable of procreation does not necessarily mean one is mentally and emotionally ready to parent.

I am absolutely certain my daughter is better off and happier than she ever would have been if her birthmother had not made a choice to offer her a better future. One where she gets to wake up and go to bed every day surrounded by both her parents. To get to be with her parents together doing things as a family. To not be torn between warring families. To have mature parents whose partying and hanging out and college days are long behind them and whose one and only priority is their child. Where we can make joint decisions as her parents and relocate if we wish and need and are not tied to a locale because of the other parents equal rights to parent their child. Not a bad thing.

 

[tcpmp]

1. Is he signing the birth certificate as being the father? This will determine the name. If he doesn't sign he would have to have a paterinty test.
2. Has he or his parents asked for a paterinty test? Most states require a paterinty test if they are not married to prove that he is the child father before proceeding with child support and custody.
4. Are they still in a relationship and are they planning to get married?
5. What have you disscussed with him and his parents about your options and desires? If communication is possible you might be able to come to an understanding and a plan of action.

 

[Bloomer]

The first thing she needs to do is talk to the AG's office about starting proceedings for a paternity action. This will legallly establish him as the father and start support and custody proceedings as well usually. In most states they will not start the action until the baby is actually born but I would definitely talk to someone before then and have all of your ducks in a row.

You can REQUEST that he have to pay a portion of the medical bills pertaining to the pregnancy and the confinement costs for her and the baby (once he is legally established as the father) but every state is different and I don't know how Texas handles those expenses.

Mom has the right to name the child anything she wants and give the baby any last name she wants to.