The United States Supreme Court recently sided with a lesbian mother in an adoption case, temporarily blocking an Alabama court order, which declared the adoption of her three children invalid. This case brings attention to the legal challenges that gay and lesbian couples must still face even after the Supreme Court passed a law stating that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry.
The adoptive mother had been in a 16-year relationship with the woman who gave birth to the couple’s three children. In 2007, a Georgia court approved the woman’s adoption. While they lived in Alabama, the women rented a home in Georgia because the state was known for showing leniency towards gay and lesbian couples who wanted to adopt. When the couple’s relationship deteriorated, the birth mother contested child visitation between the children and her former partner.
The Alabama court ruled that the Georgia adoption was invalid because the law did not allow a “non-spouse to adopt a child without first terminating the parental rights of the current parents.”
In blocking the Alabama court’s decision, the Supreme Court’s decision means that the noncustodial parent in this case will likely be reunited with her children. In a statement released on behalf of the adoptive mother, she is overjoyed at the possibility of seeing her children whom she loves and wants to help raise. She expressed her opinion that the Alabama court decision only hurts her family and so many other families with same sex parents.
Baltimore Adoption Lawyers at the Law Offices of Allyson B. Goldscher Helps Families in All Aspects of Adoption and Child Custody Cases
If you or a loved one is facing legal issues in your adoption or child custody case, contact our Baltimore adoption lawyers at the Law Offices of Allyson B. Goldscher. Our skilled team will guide you through every step of the process. With offices conveniently located in Stevenson, Maryland, we serve clients throughout Baltimore County, including Baltimore and Stevenson. Call us today at 410-602-9522 or contact us online.
