A Court Can Modify Parental Rights and Responsibilities
Courts don’t get involved with family life unless something goes wrong and it is in a child’s best interests to do so. If the parents are getting a divorce, for example, the judge will make specific orders about custody, visitation, child support, and who can make important decisions on the child’s behalf.
If a child has been abused or neglected by a parent, the court can limit that parent’s rights or, in extreme cases, take them away altogether. A parent whose rights have been terminated by the court may also no longer have responsibility for that child.