25-5A-18. Order terminating parental rights--Consent to adoption--Child support arrearages. Upon proof of the notice required by § 25-5A-9 and personal service as required by §§ 25-5A-11 and 25-5A-12 to all parents and putative fathers of a child, if, after the court determines that the parents have consented or have waived consent pursuant to § 25-6-4, the court finds that the termination of parental rights and the transfer of parental rights to be in the best interests of the child, and finds that the petitioner or petitioners are fully aware of the purpose of the proceedings and the consequences of their act, the court shall make an order terminating all parental rights and obligations in the parent or parents in which they have existed and releasing the child from all legal obligations to the parents, even though the proceeding for termination is brought by only one parent. The court shall also order that the parental rights are transferred to some other person or persons, or authorized agency as may, in the opinion of the court, be best qualified to receive them. The order may contain the power by the person or persons or authorized agency to consent to the adoption of the child, as provided for in § 25-6-12, without further notice to the child's parent or parents or any other person having parental rights over the child. The court may specifically terminate the parental rights of all parents and putative fathers regardless of whether they are personally present in court except as required in § 25-5A-14. Any existing child support arrearages shall be addressed by the court in the order terminating parental rights.

Source: SL 1971, ch 165, § 7; SL 1995, ch 143, § 2; SL 1996, ch 164, § 1; SL 2013, ch 119, § 19.