Need legal help with our pregnant 14 year old...

[Beth Garcia]

Jurisdiction

California

Hello. My husband and I are trying to figure out what we can legally do, about his 14 year old daughter becoming pregnant. She has emotional issues including bipolar disorder, and oppositional defiance disorder. We've had to call police, several times due to her either running away, or becoming physically violent towards us, and her 2 siblings that live with us, and she has a tendency to self harm. She was on birth control, but somehow lost it, unbeknownst to us, and has been extremely permiscuous, since then. We do not think she is mentally fit to take care of a child, especially at such a young age. We're also not financially in a place, to take care of an extra child. Is there anything we can legally do, in the state of California to at least give the baby up, for adoption?

 

[shrinkmaster]

You have no legal rights towards baby nor are you legally obligated to support child

 

[leslie82]

Hello. My husband and I are trying to figure out what we can legally do, about his 14 year old daughter becoming pregnant. She has emotional issues including bipolar disorder, and oppositional defiance disorder. We've had to call police, several times due to her either running away, or becoming physically violent towards us, and her 2 siblings that live with us, and she has a tendency to self harm. She was on birth control, but somehow lost it, unbeknownst to us, and has been extremely permiscuous, since then. We do not think she is mentally fit to take care of a child, especially at such a young age. We're also not financially in a place, to take care of an extra child. Is there anything we can legally do, in the state of California to at least give the baby up, for adoption?

You nor your husband can do anything about his daughter's child. SHE has three options: terminate the pregnancy if it's not past the point of no return, continue the pregnancy and keep it or give the eventual infant up for adoption. But she gets to make those choices. Not you two.

Your husband gets to make choices about his daughter. Or her mother can make choices.

You have no legal standing with the fetus or your husband's daughter.

 

[ElleMD]

If the kid is that out of control I would be looking into residential programs. As for the pregnancy, you can not force her to abort but you can make clear to her that you will not be supporting the baby and she needs to make alternative arrangements.