It’s certainly an exciting time in your life when you decide it’s time to adopt a child and start growing your family. The more love in the house, the better, right?
When you identify as LGBT and want to adopt, whether by yourself or with your partner, it’s important that while you are ready to open your heart and home to a child to raise them, LGBT adoption issues in Ohio could arise. While these issues could be small bumps in the road to parenthood, there can also be obstacles that make it difficult to add to adopt.
If you decide it is time to add a child to your home, whether by surrogacy or adoption, it’s crucial to remember the parental rights of all parties involved when bringing a child into the fold. Consider the following situations when it comes to LGBT adoption laws in Ohio.
LGBT Surrogacy Rights in Ohio
In some cases, a gestational surrogate is an option that many LGBT couples can take to bring a child into the world and raise them. In this situation, however, it’s important that the intended parents, whether they are also the genetic parents or not, understand their LGBT surrogacy rights in Ohio. For example,
the family will need to hire counsel BEFORE the surrogate becomes pregnany to ensure that the surrogate does not have any legal parental rights to the child, and ensure that the intended parents are also the LEGAL parents of the child.
If you will be using donor gametes, either eggs or sperm, it is very important to understand how the law will treat the egg or sperm donor. If you want to be sure that your donor does not have the right to sue you for custody down the road, it is essential that you consult with a competent, experienced, LGBT surrogacy attorney BEFORE you get pregnant.
LGBT Adoption Rights in Ohio
Some LGBT families decide that they would like to adopt a child rather than opt for surrogacy. In this case, adoption agencies may decide to deny same-sex couples an adoptive placement because, unfortunately, this type of discrimination is still legal in parts of Ohio. A competent, experienced LGBT adoption attorney can help you find an agency that is a good fit for your family, and can help you navigate choices like where to finalize your adoption, or where the child can or should be born.
When these LGBT adoption issues in Ohio come up, it’s important to consult with a LGBT adoption rights attorney in Ohio to assist you in navigating the Ohio’s complex adoption laws and procedure.
For some families, a child of one parent born prior to the marriage may need to be adopted by the parent’s partner to establish parental rights and responsibilities. In these cases, the partner will take on all the parental rights and responsibilities for the child, along with the child’s biological parent.
Parenting Agreements
For some families, a shared custody arrangement between the child’s biological parents and the new spouse. This often results in a co-parenting situation between the same-sex couple and the child’s other parent. Often this happens informally between the parties, similar to the relationship between a child and a stepparent for different-sex couples. If you are considering having your new spouse adopt your child born prior to your marriage, it is important to consider the consequences for the other parent. Navigating LGBT adoption laws in Ohio in the context of this type of stepparent adoption can be very tricky, especially when it comes to the consent of the other parent.
Call an LGBT Adoption Rights Lawyer in Ohio
No matter how simple the adoption process may seem for a same-sex couple, it’s crucial to have an understanding, compassionate, and experienced LGBT attorney on your side. At Obenour Legal Group, our mission is to help LGBT couples through the complicated processes of LGBT adoption and surrogacy in Ohio. Contact us for a case review or call us today if you are considering LGBT adoption or surrogacy.