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Are You My Mother? A Critique Of The Requirements For De Facto Parenthood In Maine Following The Law Court's Decision In Pitts V. Moore, Samuel G. Johnson

Maine Law Review

Are you my mother? The answer to this question may not have been very difficult to ascertain years ago, however it is not so easily answered today. With advancements in technology, shifts in family structures, and changes in social norms, new legal issues pertaining to parental rights have materialized. The right to raise a child as one sees fit is one of the oldest fundamental rights recognized and protected by the United States Constitution. However, courts are now being asked to consider the rights of “legal strangers” at the expense of the biological or legal parent. One method that a …