2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 19 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS (§§ 19-1-1 — 19-15-7) › Chapter 8 - ADOPTION (§§ 19-8-1 — 19-8-43) › Article 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 19-8-1 — 19-8-28) › Section 19-8-12 - Notice to biological father; procedure when identity or location of father not known; effect of order terminating biological father's rights; legitimation of child by father; rights of mother

(a)
The General Assembly finds that:
(1)
The state has a compelling interest in promptly providing stable and permanent homes for adoptive children, and in preventing the disruption of adoptive placements;
(2)
Adoptive children have a right to permanence and stability in adoptive placements;
(3)
Adoptive parents have a constitutionally protected liberty and privacy interest in retaining custody of children placed with them for adoption;
(4)
A biological father who is not a legal father may have an interest in his biological child. This inchoate interest is lost by failure to develop a familial bond with the child and acquires constitutional protection only if a biological father who is not a legal father develops a familial bond with the child;
(5)
The subjective intent of a biological father who is not a legal father, whether expressed or otherwise, unsupported by evidence of acts manifesting such intent, shall not preclude a determination that a biological father who is not a legal father has failed to develop a familial bond with the child; and
(6)
A man who has engaged in a nonmarital sexual relationship with a woman is deemed to be on notice that a pregnancy and adoption proceeding regarding a child may occur and has a duty to protect his own rights and interests in that child. He is therefore entitled to notice of an adoption proceeding only as provided in this Code section.
(b)
If there is a biological father who is not a legal father of a child and he has not executed a surrender of rights as specified in paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Code Section
19-8-4
,
19-8-5
,
19-8-6
, or
19-8-7
or paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Code Section
19-8-4
,
19-8-5
, or
19-8-7
, he shall be notified of adoption proceedings regarding the child in the following circumstances:
(1)
If his identity is known to the petitioner, department, child-placing agency, or out-of-state licensed agency or to the attorney for such individual or entity;
(2)
If he is a registrant on the putative father registry who has acknowledged paternity of the child in accordance with subparagraph (d)(2)(A) of Code Section
19-11-9
; or
(3)
If he is a registrant on the putative father registry who has indicated possible paternity of the child during a period beginning two years immediately prior to the child's date of birth in accordance with subparagraph (d)(2)(B) of Code Section
19-11-9
.
(c)
(1)
Notification provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section shall be given to a biological father who is not a legal father by the following methods:
(A)
Certified mail or registered mail, return receipt requested, or statutory overnight delivery, one-day service not required, at his last known address, which notice shall be deemed received upon the date of delivery shown on the return or delivery receipt;
(B)
Personal service, which notice shall be deemed received when personal service is perfected; or
(C)
Publication once a week for three weeks in the official organ of the county where the adoption petition has been filed and of the county of his last known address, which notice shall be deemed received upon the date of the last publication.
(2)
If feasible, the methods specified in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be used before publication; provided, however, that in the interest of time, publication may be initiated simultaneously with efforts to perfect service personally, by certified mail or registered mail, or by statutory overnight delivery.
(3)
No prior order of court shall be required to publish notice pursuant to this Code section; provided, however, that before publication may be relied upon as a means of service, it shall be averred that, after diligent efforts, service could not be perfected personally, by certified mail or registered mail, or by statutory overnight delivery.
(d)
(1)
When the rights of a parent or guardian of a child have been surrendered or terminated in accordance with Code Section
19-8-4
or the child does not have a living parent or guardian, the department, child-placing agency, or out-of-state licensed agency may file, under the authority of this paragraph, a petition to terminate a biological father's rights to the child with the superior court of the county of the child's domicile, of the county where the child was born, of the county in which is located the principal office of the child-placing agency having legal custody of the child, or of the county in which is located the office of the department having legal custody of the child.
(2)
When the rights of a parent or guardian of a child have been surrendered in accordance with Code Section
19-8-5
,
19-8-6
, or
19-8-7
, the child does not have a living parent or guardian, a consent to adopt has been executed pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section
19-8-6
, or the petitioner is seeking to involuntarily terminate parental rights pursuant to Code Section
19-8-10
, the petitioner shall file, under the authority of this paragraph, with the superior court of the county of the child's domicile or of the county where the child was born a motion, if a petition for adoption of the child has previously been filed with the court, or a petition to terminate a biological father's rights to the child.
(3)
When a petition or motion is filed pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection, the court shall, within 30 days from the date of receipt of the notice required by subsection (b) of this Code section or, when no notice is required to be given, from the date of such filing, conduct a hearing in chambers to determine the facts in the matter.
(4)
Unless the identity of a biological father is known to the petitioner, department, child-placing agency, or out-of-state licensed agency or to the attorney for such individual or entity such that he is entitled to notice of the proceedings as provided in this Code section, when the petitioner provides a certificate from the putative father registry stating that there is no registrant identified on the putative father registry acknowledging paternity of the child or indicating possible paternity of the child for a period beginning no later than two years immediately prior to the child's date of birth, then it shall be rebuttably presumed that an unnamed biological father who is not a legal father is not entitled to notice of the proceedings. Absent evidence rebutting the presumption, then no further inquiry or notice shall be required by the court and the court shall enter an order terminating the rights of such unnamed biological father to the child.
(e)
When notice is to be given pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section, it shall advise such biological father who is not a legal father that he loses all rights to the child and will neither receive notice nor be entitled to object to the adoption of the child unless, within 30 days of receipt of such notice, he files:
(1)
A petition to legitimate the child pursuant to Code Section
19-7-22
as a separate civil action;
(2)
Notice of the filing of the petition to legitimate with the court in which the action under this Code section, if any, is pending; and
(3)
Notice of the filing of the petition to legitimate to the person or agency who provided such notice to such biological father.
(f)
A biological father who is not a legal father shall lose all rights to the child and the court shall enter an order terminating all of his rights to the child and he shall not thereafter be allowed to object to the adoption and shall not be entitled to receive further notice of the adoption if, within 30 days from his receipt of the notice provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section, he:
(1)
Does not file a legitimation petition and give notice as required in subsection (e) of this Code section;
(2)
Files a legitimation petition which is subsequently dismissed for failure to prosecute; or
(3)
Files a legitimation petition and the action is subsequently concluded without a court order granting such petition and declaring that he is a legal father of the child.
(g)
If an alleged biological father who is not a legal father files a legitimation petition after the mother of such child has surrendered her parental rights, the court shall be authorized to consider the affidavit of the mother specified in subsection (g) of Code Section
19-8-4
,
19-8-5
,
19-8-6
, or
19-8-7
, as applicable. If the court finds from the evidence that such biological father has not lived with the child, contributed to the child's support, or provided support or medical care during the mother's pregnancy or hospitalization for the birth of such child, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the biological father abandoned his opportunity interest to legitimate such child and may deny his petition for legitimation. Such biological father shall not thereafter be allowed to object to the adoption nor be entitled to receive further notice of the adoption proceedings.
(h)
If the child is legitimated by his or her biological father, the adoption shall not be permitted except as provided in Code Sections
19-8-4
through
19-8-7
.
(i)
If the child is legitimated by his or her biological father and in the adoption proceeding the petition for adoption is revoked with prejudice or denied by the court, then a SURRENDER OF RIGHTS/FINAL RELEASE FOR ADOPTION executed by a legal mother pursuant to Code Section
19-8-4
,
19-8-5
, or
19-8-7
shall be dissolved by operation of law and her parental rights shall be restored to her. The fact that a legal mother executed a SURRENDER OF RIGHTS/FINAL RELEASE FOR ADOPTION, now dissolved, shall not be admissible as evidence against a legal mother in any proceeding against her.
Amended by 2021 Ga. Laws 140,§ 7, eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by 2018 Ga. Laws 285,§ 1-1, eff. 9/1/2018.
Amended by 2016 Ga. Laws 404,§ 14, eff. 7/1/2016.
Amended by 2008 Ga. Laws 580,§ 8, eff. 7/1/2008.
Amended by 2007 Ga. Laws 214,§ 8, eff. 7/1/2007.
Amended by 2004 Ga. Laws 564, § 19, eff. 5/13/2004.