Same-Sex Adoptions

Adoption Assistance for Same-Sex Couples

Gay Adoption ∙ Second Parent Adoption

Your relationship and your dreams for having a family are very personal matters. When legal issues and personal life are intertwined, having a lawyer who comprehends the personal nature of your situation can make a difference. At Berman & Asbel, LLP, we recognize that you are not just a case or file number. Everyone who comes to our law office in Media, Pennsylvania, is our number one priority. We take on your legal concerns as if they were our own and we set out to achieve the results you need.

For experienced legal assistance with gay adoption or second parent adoption in the Philadelphia area, contact Berman & Asbel, LLP and schedule a free initial consultation.

The Legal Parent-Child Relationship

When heterosexual couples have children, there are built in legal protections for both parents and children. However, the same protections are not available for gay and lesbian couples. For most same-sex couples with children, one partner is the biological parent of a child conceived through surrogacy, sperm donation or other assistive reproduction. While the other partner may serve as a parent in terms of nurture, discipline and financial support, the partner does not automatically have the protections of the legal parent-child relationship, nor does the child.

Pennsylvania laws does permit adoptions in households of gay couples. In a same-sex relationship, the partner who is not the biological parent of the child may become a legal parent under the law through a second parent adoption. Second parent adoptions give both the parent and child many benefits and protections:

• Protections for the child: Second parent adoptions enable the child to be covered as a dependent of the non-biological parent for health insurance and life insurance benefits. Additionally, adoption provides the child with inheritance rights if the parent dies without a will and rights to federal benefits, such as Social Security benefits, if the non-biological parent dies or becomes disabled while the child is a minor. At the same time, the parental relationship of the partner who is the biological parent is preserved.
• Protections for the non-biological parent: Without a second parent adoption, the non-biological parent may potentially lose all interaction with the child if the partner relationship ends or if the biological parent dies while the child is a minor. Second parent adoptions give the non-biological parent legal rights as a parent in future potential custody, visitation and child support issues.

Our family law attorneys assist same-sex couples with second parent adoptions to ensure both the parent and child have the full protection of the law. We handle all aspects of gay adoptions, such as preparing clients for the home study and other procedures.

If you have questions about adopting a child through gay adoption or second parent adoption procedures in Pennsylvania, contact Berman & Asbel, LLP and schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced and compassionate family lawyer.