LGBTQ+
Gill Family Law is an ally and supporter of LGBTQ+ families and helps them resolve family law matters.
Whether a family is adding children through adoption or surrogacy or dissolving a marriage, Gill Family Law can assist. Our expertise is rooted in complex cases, and same sex relationships with antiquated laws in Tennessee and Mississippi can become complicated quickly.
Whether parents share a legal or biological link or not, Gill Family Law will work with families and the court systems to advocate for the best interest of the child. When a couple starts a family through love, they want the best for that child. It doesn’t matter if the child is adopted, birthed by a parent through in-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination or brought to the fold through surrogacy, they are loved.
Dissolving a marriage or relationship between same sex marriages travels the same path as heterosexual couples, with additional hurdles and considerations.
As with most divorces, it’s best if the two parents can come to an agreement about child custody, financial support and parental time.
A mutual agreement is the most surefire way to have the most control over the outcome. Regardless of the fact the two are no longer a couple, each will have to sort out how to share parenting duties, or what is best for the child’s safety and wellbeing.
If an agreement cannot be reached through mediation or alternative dispute resolution, our case will be at the mercy of the judge’s decision.
The courts approach a case from what is in the best interest of the child. Sometimes that is not what the individual parties want for their family. Additionally, there are some laws for custody that aren’t compassionate to LGBTQ+ situations, particularly if the law is followed to the letter.
With only one legal or biological parent, and if the other parent hasn’t taken legal action to adopt the child, things become complicated. In some cases, the courts will be held to the letter of the law, and it hasn’t caught up to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ couples. It will still include verbiage like mother/father and husband/wife, which don’t adequately cover the relationships in same sex marriages.
Gill Family Law handles all family law cases with sensitivity and compassion, and particularly works to understand all of the nuances of same-sex matters, in all case types. We’d be glad to take time to speak with you about your specific situation. Book a consultation with us today.