Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Law
A Lesbian-Centered Critique Of Second-Parent Adoptions, Julie Shapiro
A Lesbian-Centered Critique Of Second-Parent Adoptions, Julie Shapiro
Faculty Articles
When lesbian couples start families, one woman often begins with all the legal entitlements of parenthood, either by giving birth or by virtue of adopting a child, while the other woman has no legal rights. She is a non-legal parent. Absent legal rights she suffers many critical disadvantages. Second-parent adoptions have been developed to allow lesbians to create families with two-legal parents. They have been widely hailed as a solution to the problem of the non-legal parent. This article argues, however, that for many women they may actually make matters worse. Because some women can use second-parent adoptions, women who …
De Facto Parents And The Unfulfilled Promise Of The New Ali Principles, Julie Shapiro
De Facto Parents And The Unfulfilled Promise Of The New Ali Principles, Julie Shapiro
Faculty Articles
Alternative families - those that do not fit the classic nuclear family model - have been the focus of legal reform over the last twenty years. The American Law Institute has produced model legislation recognizing de facto parents as holders of some limited rights. To some this is a more flexible regime that would benefit non-nuclear families, in particular lesbian families. This article critiques the ALI draft, demonstrating that its promise is largely illusory.