Julie and I are in the final phase of Dru's adoption! Our court date is just a few weeks away. According to our lawyer, we shouldn't be worried about the hearing. If there were to be issues the judge would have had objections already. We are still a bit anxious. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
For those who are interested in how important this is...
Second parent adoptions provide children being raised in same-sex families numerous financial and legal protections not otherwise afford to them including, but not limited to, the rights to:
· Inherit from the "second parent;"
· Receive damages should the "second parent" be wrongfully injured or killed;
· Receive worker's compensation benefits based on the "second parent's" work-related injury;
· Receive social security benefits should the "second parent" become disabled;
· Receive health insurance benefits from the "second parent's" employer;
· Have visitation with the "second parent" in the event of parental separation; and
· Receive child support from the "second parent."
Second parent adoptions also protect the integrity of the family should the child's biological parent die or become incapacitated. In the absence of an adoption, the child could be removed from the non-biological parent's care to be placed with relatives of the biological parent or in foster care. This may be true even if the biological parent has designated the other partner as the child's guardian in his or her will, as such designations can be successfully challenged in court.
Moreover, second parent adoptions are critical should the child become seriously ill. A "second parent" can take parental leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, can consent to emergency medical treatment for the child, and cannot be prohibited from visiting the child in a hospital or medical facility.
(excerpt from
www.mckinleyirvin.com)
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