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Full-Text Articles in Law
The Sealed Adoption Records Controversy: Breaking Down The Wails Of Secrecy, Jason Kuhns
The Sealed Adoption Records Controversy: Breaking Down The Wails Of Secrecy, Jason Kuhns
Golden Gate University Law Review
This article will discuss the statutory history of adoption in the United States and advocate why a present day understanding of the interests of the parties to the adoption process requires that adoptees have greater access to these records. The author will examine the reasons why current statutory approaches do not adequately address adoptees' needs and recommend a procedural device that would sufficiently balance the interests of the parties to this controversy.
Redefining Parenthood: Child Custody And Visitation When Nontraditional Families Dissolve, Kristine L. Burks
Redefining Parenthood: Child Custody And Visitation When Nontraditional Families Dissolve, Kristine L. Burks
Golden Gate University Law Review
This article offers a method of providing custody and visitation rights to individuals formerly involved in nontraditional relationships who function as children's parents but who lack the legal status of parent. The article considers a broad range of nontraditional families, including stepparents, same-sex partners, and unmarried heterosexuals. The article begins with a summary of California statutory law. The author examines how "parent" is defined and the limitations imposed on those falling outside that definition when they seek to assert rights to child custody and visitation. Next, the article focuses on three types of nontraditional relationships to illustrate how California courts …