somewhat involved but has not aided anything financially to support the child and has mental diagnoses of schzophrenia and bi polar disorders

Thank you for sharing that — this is actually a situation we see fairly often, and there are a few important things to consider here.

Regarding the lack of financial support:

In Indiana, failure to provide support for 1 year is one of the grounds for proceeding without consent. If the other parent hasn't contributed financially to the child's care for at least a year, that's a solid legal basis for the adoption — even if they've had some contact.

The key question is: has it been at least 12 months since they last provided any meaningful financial support?

Regarding the mental health diagnoses:

This is where I need to be careful, because mental health situations can be complex. Having a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder alone doesn't automatically mean someone can't consent or loses parental rights — courts evaluate whether the parent is able to fulfill their parental duties despite the diagnosis.

However, if the mental health conditions have resulted in them being unable to perform parental duties (not maintaining contact, not providing care, not being present in the child's life in a meaningful way), that could be relevant to the abandonment finding.

Here's what matters most:

• How long has it been since they provided financial support?
• What does "somewhat involved" mean — how often do they see or communicate with the child? Monthly? A few times a year? Less?
• Are they able to maintain a stable parental relationship despite their diagnoses?

The court will look at the totality of the circumstances — not just one factor, but the overall picture of whether they're functioning as a parent.

For a genuinely contested case (where the other parent objects AND has been reasonably involved), you might want to consult with a family law attorney in addition to our document service. But if their involvement has been minimal and inconsistent, this may proceed more smoothly than you think.

Can you tell me more about the frequency of contact over the past year?