Texas Judge Enforces Morality Clause in Divorce Decree Prohibits Lesbian Couple from Cohabitating
This past week a Texas judge ruled that a lesbian couple could not continue to cohabitate because of a morality clause in one of the partner’s divorce decree. A morality clause is essentially a provision in a settlement agreement, divorce decree or court order that precludes either parent from having a romantic partner spend the night... Read More
Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Reality in Three More States
On May 13, 2013, the Minnesota State Legislature presented its approved same-sex marriage bill to Governor Mark Dayton for his signature. When Governor Dayton signs the bill, Minnesota will become the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage. However, the bill was no small feat. Six months ago, Minnesota was in line to become the 31st... Read More
Parental Conflict Has Proven Effect on Children – Even When They Are Asleep
It is no big secret that conflict in the home is associated with a host of negative behavioral and life outcomes for children. In fact, some studies have gone so far as to suggest that dissolving a high conflict marriage is better for children than exposing them to high levels of conflict in a contentious... Read More
Rhode Island Senate Votes to Approve Same-Sex Marriage Rights
Following the lead of fellow New England states, Rhode Island is poised to be the final state in the region to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples after the state Senate voted to approve a marriage equality bill on April 17, 2013. The initial version of the bill passed through the House of Representatives in... Read More
Surrogate Mother Refuses to Have Abortion
This story raised concerns across the ART community last year, from adequate screening of gestational carriers and the reasonableness and appropriateness of compensation for gestational carriers, to the constitutional right to travel and to parent, and the choice of substantive law in gestational carrier contracts. Crystal Kelley, a single mother of two girls, entered into... Read More
D.C. Amends Adoption Law to Include Non-Residency Requirement
The District of Columbia recently passed an amendment to its adoption statute allowing adoptions to take place in the District if the child is born in D.C. The amendment is retroactive to include all children born in the District of Columbia since July 1, 2009. This means that same-sex couples that do not reside in... Read More
Florida Judge Rules that Gay Man and Married Lesbian Couple are Legal Parents of Daughter
A 23-month old baby now has three legal parents – her biological father, her biological mother, and her biological mother’s wife – after a Miami-Dade judge approved the private adoption in early February. The baby’s two mothers, Maria Italiano and Cher Filippazzo, longtime partners who were married in Connecticut, struggled to become pregnant through fertility... Read More
Maryland Voters Make History by Passing Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Initiative
Gay marriage is one of the most important civil rights issues of the decade. After a nail-biting battle, voters in Maryland narrowly passed Question 6, the ballot initiative granting same-sex couples the right to marry. Same-sex couples in Maryland had already been given the right to marry when the State Legislature passed a bill during... Read More
Sogand Zamani and Sara S. Scott Quoted in Washington Lawyer Magazine
We are excited to announce that our attorneys, Sogand Zamani and Sara S. Scott, were quoted in the cover story of the July/August edition of the Washington Lawyer Magazine, entitled “Reproductive Technology and the Law.” The article provides a comprehensive look at the complications and challenges related to litigating and regulating reproductive issues, such as... Read More
Introduction to ZS Blog
Welcome to our new blog. As a small family law firm located in Washington DC, we believe it is important to keep ourselves and our clients well-informed of recent news and policies pertaining to family law. This is a place for us to post articles and generate discussion and dialogue about current events that relate... Read More