• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Top Bar Section

Contact Info
212-462-4050 Contact
Family Mediation PLLC
Law Office of Ellie Wertheim
  • Mediation & Legal Services
    • Divorce Mediation
    • Family Mediation
    • Prenuptial Agreements
    • Post-Divorce Mediation
    • Negotiated Settlements
    • Professional and Academic Programs
  • FAQ
  • About Ellie
  • News & Press
  • Blog
  • Contact

Same-Sex Parenting Rights at the Supreme Court

Monday, March 7th, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/us/politics/supreme-court-lesbian-adoption-alabama.html?&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/03/07/supreme_court_issues_order_upholding_a_same_sex_adoption.html

Today the Supreme Court protected the rights of an adoptive lesbian parent.  The partners, one of whom was the birth mother, the other the adoptive parent, split and disputed how to spend time with their children.  While the adoptions of the couples’ three children had taken place in Georgia, the partners resided in Alabama and Alabama’s Supreme Court declined to provide legal parenting time for the adoptive mother.  The Supreme Court ruled on the most basic of principles — that is, “full faith and credit,” a foundational Constitutional obligation of each state to uphold the laws and contracts of the other 49 states.  In this case, the legally-binding adoptions from Georgia must be fully recognized and legally implemented in Alabama, thereby affording each mother equal status under the law.

According to Slate: “Tobias Barrington Wolff, professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, was a lead author on the amicus brief to the Supreme Court submitted on behalf of scholars of the conflict of laws—the field of law dealing with the operation of judgments across state borders. He told me Monday morning, “This ruling marks a major turning point. The court has reaffirmed that full faith and credit—one of the cornerstones of our system of government—applies to same-sex couples and their families. And the summary reversal and unanimous vote both signal to courts around the country that the obligation to treat same-sex couples equally in our legal system cannot be avoided, whether through clever tactics or outright hostility.”

Filed Under: Blogs

Primary Sidebar

News & Press

  • Tackle Communication Challenges To Achieve Understanding
  • Presumptive ADR: A Sea Change for Litigants and Practitioners
  • Can a Robot Mediator Really Provide a Win-Win Result? From the NYLJ April 9, 2019
  • Most Expensive and Simple Divorce
  • Addressing Human Rights Violations With Mediation
  • Campus Sexual Assault and Mediation?
  • Decision Making in Mediation
  • A Brief Summary of Biases for Mediators to Note
  • Ask the Mediators: Power Imbalances
  • Sibling Relationships and Mediation
What Our Clients Say...

Footer Testimonials Section

Random Slideshow

J.D., Queens, New York

“I can’t imagine two mediators with more integrity and impartiality. They guided us through the difficult process of divorce with incredible knowledge, empathy, and honesty. Because of them, we established a neutral dialogue that has continued to this day. I am deeply grateful to Family Mediation.”

–J.D., Queens, New York

C.A., Manhattan

“Ellie and Abby were able to help resolve a conflict that had seemed irreconcilable after months of efforts by other professionals. Their deep empathy combined with legal expertise gave me the confidence I needed to withstand the most stressful challenge of my life. Their commitment to achieve optimal results went far above and beyond all my expectations.”

–C.A., Manhattan

G.R., Brooklyn, New York

“Thank you both for all your help and hard work. You made a difficult process bearable. Thank you both for listening to me, understanding and then telling me what I needed to hear and know.”

–G.R., Brooklyn, New York

M.B., New York, New York

“I cannot recommend Abby and Ellie from Family Mediation highly enough. These two attorneys are humanistic and effective practitioners of family law. They will help you and your spouse work through any problems that may arise. They are wise and experienced and most of all, they are decent human beings who really care about their clients.”

–M.B., New York, New York

A.T., New York, New York

“Without reservation, I highly recommend Abby and Ellie. They are seasoned professionals whose legal expertise and unique co-mediation teamwork model, coupled with a humanistic approach, was effective in bringing a difficult situation to an amicable conclusion.”

–A.T., New York, New York

Footer Main Section

Contact Info
Family Mediation PLLC
270 West 17th Street
Suite 6-i
New York, NY 10011

P: 212-462-4050
F: 212-944-1497
Email: nyfamilymediation@gmail.com
Map
270 West 17th Street, Suite 6-i, New York, NY 10011
Button
Find out if divorce mediation is right for you. Interested couples receive a free, one-hour consultation.

Free Consultation
Privacy   |   Website Design by Team of Horses   |   ©2005-2023 Family Mediation PLLC - Law Office of Ellie Wertheim