What Can I Do to Protect My Family?

With the new administration coming to Washington, D.C. in January, many LGBTQ+ families have reached out to us inquiring about second parent adoptions (stepparent adoptions) to provide legal security for their families. We are here to help! Please give us a call or e-mail us to find out more.

You should also be aware that in Vermont, you can secure a judgment of parentage through the probate court where you reside. A petition for this order can be filed before or after the birth of your child, and it provides you both with legal protection throughout the country. All states are required to give full faith and credit to court judgments from other jurisdictions.  You can find the petition for this birth order here:

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/probate under “Probate - miscellaneous forms”.

You should be able to file this on your own without an attorney, but if you would like us to represent you and guide you through the process, let us know if you have any questions.

Finally, we are hoping that the Vermont legislature will pass a so-called “confirmatory adoption" process in the coming session. This bill would allow couples in your circumstances to obtain an adoption decree in a more streamlined manner than is currently available. Assuming it passes, it will most likely take effect July 1, 2025.

Please remember that being a parent on your child's birth certificate is not enough!  Unlike court orders securing parental rights, other states are not required to recognize parents' rights based on who is on the birth certificate or marital presumptions of parentage established under state law.  You must have a court order!

Thank you again for reaching out to us. We look forward to hearing from you.

PS -- don't forget that GLAD has an amazing team of dedicated attorneys and staff fight for YOU!  https://www.glad.org/know-your...