Right to counsel

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Legislation, Termination of Parental Rights (Private) - Birth Parents

Washington provides for the appointment of counsel to indigent parents at all stages of a proceeding in which a child is alleged to be dependent, including termination of parental rights proceedings. Wash. Rev. Code § 13.34.090.2 This includes a right to counsel for non-consenting parents in private adoption proceedings where the prospective adoptive parent seeks to terminate parental rights of the natural parent. Wash. Rev. Code § 26.33.110(3)(b)(i). However, parents who voluntarily put their children up for adoption are not entitled to the appointment of counsel. In re Adoption of Hernandez, 607 P.2d 879 (Wash. Ct. App. 1980).

Appointment of Counsel: categorical Qualified: no