Second-parent adoption is another process which a parent who is not biologically related to their child can use to establish legal parentage. Second-parent adoption differs from the traditional adoption process in that the legal rights of the “first parent”, or biologically related parent, are not terminated. This process is particularly helpful for LGBTQ+ parents who do not live in states where parentage orders or confirmatory/co-parent adoptions are available. Both married and unmarried clients may benefit from the protections of an adoption. The unfortunate reality is that even when a same-sex couple is married and completes the many steps to bringing a child into the world through reproductive technology, one parent may still need to adopt his or her own child to ensure the fullest protection under the law. Contact us to see if second-parent adoption is right for you.
