Q: Can I strip my abusive ex's parental rights after our baby is born in Indiana?
I am currently pregnant and not married. My boyfriend and I broke up after he physically assaulted me while pregnant, and I pressed charges against him. He also broke into my home, leading to a no-contact order being placed. I have previous charges filed against him for breaking and entering, and I found documentation stating he has a personality disorder. Additionally, he is abusive and has emotional and anger issues. Given these circumstances, I am concerned about his fitness as a father and would like to know if there is any way to strip his parental rights once the baby is born. I have not yet contacted a lawyer and am unsure of how to proceed since the state is handling the case. Can someone guide me on the next steps?
A: Since you say you are not married then he currently has no parental rights to your child. However, if he goes to court and establishes paternity, then he would have rights. However, even after paternity is established the court can make visitation supervised or not at all if he is a danger to the child.
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