I'm COMPLETELY Confused!!!  

I have a son from a previous relationship, and the father has been wanting to not pay child support, so I've been trying to find information about it. I've had a paralegal tell me that there is a difference between custodial rights and parental rights, if he signed away one he wouldn't have visitation or anything like that but he'd still have to pay child support, and if he signed away the other one he wouldn't have to pay child support either. Then I've called lawyers to talk to them about it, and they say that there has to be an adoptive parent for him to sign away his rights. My parents go to church with some judges and the judges say that it is up to the courts if he can or cannot sign away his right or not. I live in Missouri, and I've been trying to look it up for myself, but I just keep getting answers for other states. I don't really care about the child support, in fact, most of the time I don't get any. Does anybody have any idea which is right? And in order for him to do it, does there really have to be an adoptive parent? Also, can they force him to sign away his rights, he already doesn't have anything to do with my son, by his choice.