Lgbt Couples Family Law Cases Protecting Your Family's Interests for three decades Get A Consultation

LGBT Couples Family Law Cases in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County

  • Jacob v Shultz-Jacob; Shultz-Jacob v Jacob and Frampton: Jacob and Shultz-Jacob are a lesbian couple who have four children (2 were Shultz-Jacob’s nephews and two were Shultz-Jacob’s biological children conceived with Frampton’s sperm). Jacob sought full custody of all four children after the parties separated. The trial court awarded Jacob full legal custody of one of the children while Shultz-Jacob was awarded custody of the other three children (with Frampton being awarded partial physical custody one weekend per month of the two children he fathered). Shultz-Jacob appealed the trial court’s ruling. The Superior Court held that although Shultz-Jacob stood in loco parentis, the Court would not overturn the trial court’s ruling that it was in the best interest of the child to be placed in the primary physical custody of Jacob. Appellate also appealed from the trial court’s support order which held that Frampton (biological father) was not liable for a support obligation because he was not an indispensable party. As to this issue, the Superior Court held that both mothers and the biological father were obligated to provide support to children as they had all been awarded formal rights of custody. The Superior Court overturned the trial court’s ruling that Frampton (biological father) was not an indispensable party and remanded the case to the trial court to recalculate each litigant’s support obligation to children. 
  • L.S.K. v H.A.N: the parties are a lesbian couple; Mother conceived through artificial insemination via an anonymous sperm donor who relinquished all parental rights to any child Mother might bear. The non-biological mother cared for child during the day. The couple decided to have another child. Non-biological mother was supposed to carry the couple’s second child but was unable to. As a result, Mother again conceived through artificial insemination. This time, Mother gave birth to quadruplets. The couple separated when the quadruplets were 4 years old and Mother moved with all five children to California. The parties did not have a parentage agreement or written contract. Non-biological mother attempted to pursue custody rights with regards to the children while asserting that she did not have a legal obligation to pay child support for the children because there was no agreement for her to do so. The Superior Court affirmed that trial court’s ruling that non-biological mother stood in loco parentis and was obligated to pay child support for all five of the children. The decision was based on non-biological mother’s conduct in deciding to start a family with Mother, actively being involved in the pre-birthing process of all of the children (selecting names, attending childbirth classes, etc.) and being involved in the children’s day to day care, schooling, and health needs for over eight years.
     

NOTE: The cases listed are for informational purposes only and may have been amended or overturned by subsequently decided court cases.

  • “Melissa was able to help”

    - Rhonda
  • “I not only recommend attorney Melissa Lewis, but I guarantee once you have used her service you will look no further. She responds in an extreme timely matter, is very knowledgeable, and an extremely trustworthy person.”

    - Maurice B.
  • “Amazing”

    - Barbara
/

Taybron Law Firm, LLC Is the Right Choice for Your Family Matters

Learn more about our firm and why you should entrust our experienced legal team to handle your family law matters.

  • Supporting Active Military and Veterans
    Offering Free 30-Minute Consultations to Active Military and Veterans.
  • Experienced

    More than 30 years of combined experience practicing family law in Pennsylvania.

  • Diverse

    Attorney Melissa C. Taybron is trained as a Certified Mediator.

  • Complex Cases
    Experienced with high income, self employed professionals in complex support and equitable distribution cases.
  • Strong Support
    A team of senior attorneys, junior associates, paralegals and law school clerks for full legal support throughout the process.
  • Notary Services

    We now offer mobile notary services per your request.

Request a Consultation

We can further discuss the individual details of your case when you come in for your no-obligation consultation, which can be scheduled by calling our firm at (412) 231-9786 or via the quick contact form we have included at the bottom of this page.

  • Please enter your first name.
  • Please enter your last name.
  • Please enter your phone number.
    This isn't a valid phone number.
  • Please enter your email address.
    This isn't a valid email address.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please enter a message.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please enter a message.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.