Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights

This is where a parent chooses to terminate their right to be the legal parent of a child. This generally takes place in juvenile court (which handles termination of parental rights cases) rather than family court (which determines custody as between two legal parents). A voluntary relinquishment is generally done to allow someone else to adopt the child, and case law suggests in those instances it is voluntary consent to adoption. Cheree L. v. Ariz. Dept. of Econ. Security, 205 Ariz. 71 (App. 2003).