Can Unwed Fathers Block Adoptions? Navigating a Tricky Legal Terrain

Can Unwed Fathers Block Adoptions? Navigating a Tricky Legal Terrain

When can an unwed father's biological child be adopted without his consent? In a recent ruling, the Nebraska Supreme Court held that the state's statutory scheme for determining the rights of unwed fathers was unconstitutional as applied to the plaintiff before them – an unwed father who had not been adjudicated to be a legal father, but who had maintained a longstanding familial relationship with the child.