Gays forging creative paths to parenthood
Gays forging creative paths to parenthood
Couples turn to co-parenting to build and raise families
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/09/06/MNG1Q8KH241.DTL
excerpt relevant to step-parents and the polyamory community:
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Legally, co-parenting arrangements occupy confusing in-between ground. Traditionally, contracts between adults can’t create or negate parenthood, said Deborah Wald, an attorney who specializes in nontraditional families.
Ten years ago, co-parenting contracts — which can spell out everything from religion to baby announcements — weren’t considered legally binding. But surrogacy has thrown case law into question, and Wald now advises clients to take the contracts seriously.
In general, the law hasn’t caught up with how families are being made in the 21st century, Wald said. “The biggest hurdle to these types of nontraditional families is that the courts are pretty stuck on the number two, ” she said.
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