In recent times, the forms and structures families take have been getting more and more varied. This in turn, has led to some shifts within family law. One area within family law which has seen some notable movement in recent years is the number of legal parents a child can have.
Traditionally, the number of legal parents a child could have was capped at two. However, lately, instances have been arising in which three people wish to be the parents of a child. This arrangement has been referred to as tri-parenting.
There has started to be some growth in the legal acceptance of tri-parenting situations. A couple states have passed laws allowing for a kid to have more than two legal parents. Also, some other states have seen courts legally recognize a tri-parenting relationship. Florida is among the states in which there has been a court case in which more than two people were allowed to be a child’s parent.
Unique legal issues can come up for families with unique family structures. For example, such structures could trigger some special concerns in child custody disputes.
One could see how a child custody dispute could take on a different tone and raise some different concerns if it involved three parents rather than two. So, one wonders, if legal recognition of tri-parenting relationships continues to grow, what sorts of developments and news trends in child custody matters and laws will follow.
What family law developments do think Florida and America as a whole will see in relation to tri-parenting in the future?
Sources: AP, “Modern family: More courts allowing 3 parents of 1 child,” Jennifer Peltz, June 18, 2017
boston.com, “Courts and ‘tri-parenting’: A state-by-state look,” Jennifer Peltz, June 18, 2017