Termination of Parental Rights

A Serious Legal Step Requiring Compassion and Care

Termination of parental rights is one of the most serious actions a court can take.

It permanently ends the legal relationship between a parent and a child.

Once rights are terminated, the parent no longer has any legal rights or responsibilities — including custody, visitation, decision-making, or inheritance. The child becomes legally free for adoption.

At The Cooley Law Firm, we handle termination cases with care, precision, and discretion. Whether termination is sought to protect a child or to move forward with adoption, Attorney Shelly Booth Cooley brings deep experience in Nevada family law, adoption, and child-welfare matters.

Parent Rights law book

What is Termination of Parental Rights?

A Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) is a court order that permanently ends the parent-child relationship.

Because this decision is final and irreversible, Nevada law requires:

  • Strict procedural safeguards

  • Clear and convincing evidence

  • A finding that termination is in the child’s best interest

Courts apply heightened scrutiny to ensure the decision protects the child’s long-term safety and stability.

Voluntary vs. Involuntary Termination

Voluntary Termination

A parent may voluntarily relinquish parental rights, most often as part of an adoption.

This typically occurs through a:

  • Specific Consent to Adoption, or

  • Relinquishment of Parental Rights

These documents must comply with AB 227 (83rd Legislative Session, 2025) and applicable Nevada statutes.

Once signed and accepted by the court, voluntary relinquishments are final and irrevocable.

Common situations include:

  • Agency adoptions

  • Identified or private adoptions

  • Close-family adoptions

Involuntary Termination

If a parent will not consent, another parent, guardian, or licensed agency may seek involuntary termination under NRS Chapter 128.

The petitioner must prove both:

  1. A legally recognized ground for termination, and

  2. That termination is in the child’s best interest

Grounds for Termination in Nevada

Under NRS Chapter 128, parental rights may be terminated if clear and convincing evidence shows:

  • Abandonment of the child

  • Neglect or abuse, including substance abuse

  • Failure to support or maintain contact

  • Failure of parental adjustment (inability or unwillingness to correct issues)

  • Voluntary relinquishment through proper legal consent

  • That continuing the relationship would be detrimental to the child

Even when grounds exist, the court must still independently determine that termination serves the child’s best interest.

Termination and Adoption

Termination of parental rights often occurs to allow an adoption to proceed.

Once rights are terminated:

  • The child becomes legally free for adoption

  • A new, permanent parent-child relationship may be established

Our firm regularly handles both termination and adoption, ensuring the process is coordinated, compliant, and secure from start to finish.

A Child-Centered Process

Termination cases permanently affect a child’s legal and emotional future.

Courts require:

  • Careful documentation

  • Reliable evidence

  • Full compliance with statutory timelines and procedures

At The Cooley Law Firm, every case is prepared thoroughly and handled with sensitivity — always focused on the child’s safety, stability, and long-term well-being.

The Cooley Law Firm Approach

We represent:

  • Adoptive parents or relatives seeking termination as part of a permanent placement

  • Parents responding to termination petitions, ensuring due process and fair treatment

Our approach is:

  • Thorough — every legal requirement carefully followed

  • Compassionate — recognizing the emotional weight of these cases

  • Child-focused — prioritizing the child’s future above all else

Trusted Guidance Through a Difficult Transition

Termination of parental rights is never routine.

It requires experience, precision, and humanity.

You deserve legal counsel who understands both the law and the emotional impact of these cases — and who will guide you with clarity and care.

Speak With an Experienced Nevada Attorney

Contact The Cooley Law Firm to schedule a confidential consultation with Shelly Booth Cooley, an experienced Nevada family building and family law attorney, Certified Family Law Specialist, Adoption and ART Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, and Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers.

We are here to help you move forward with care, confidence, and respect for everyone involved — especially the child.

Three hands of different ages are stacked gently. The small hand is on top, conveying a sense of connection and generational continuity. Black and white.