Lgbt Adoptions In Utah

In 2014, same-sex marriage became legal in Utah, after nearly a year of court battles. This was a surprise to many Utahns, but not for Utah attorney. Our founder pioneered legal co-guardianships for same-sex couples in Utah long before same-sex marriage became legal in the Beehive state.

We are still strongly committed to same-sex couples in the state and we plan on continuing our support for the LGBT community. Since same-sex marriage adoption is relatively new in Utah, it is crucial to understand the laws surrounding adoption in Utah. If you are interested in same-sex marriage adoption, we can help.
A Landmark Decision

In December 2013, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah found the same-sex marriage ban, passed by voters in 2014, to be unconstitutional. This resulted in many other state same-sex marriage bans to be overturned in the following months.

It seemed as if Utah, one of the nation’s most conservative states, was paving the way for LGBT rights. On June 26, 2015, nearly a year and a half after Utah’s ban was overruled, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, making it legal nationwide.

Although same-sex couples are allowed to marry and adopt children, legal challenges still persist. In late 2015, Utah’s 7th District Court Juvenile Judge Scott Johansen ordered a foster child to be removed from the care of a same-sex couple. He said that he had research to back up the claim that children do better in heterosexual homes. Needless to say, his order was reversed soon after.

LGBT Adoption in Utah

While challenges to this law will surely persist, we are strongly committed to the LGBT community in Utah. Because of our commitment to this community, we believe it is our obligation to explain the laws surrounding LGBT adoption in Utah. The types of adoption that are legal in Utah regarding same-sex relationships are:
• Foster care adoptions
• International adoptions
• Infant adoptions
• Joint LGBT adoptions where neither parent is biologically related to the child
• Step-parent adoption
• Adoptions for children conceived via artificial insemination or surrogate mothers

As you can tell, these are the same types of adoptions available for heterosexual partners, making LGBT and heterosexual adoptions equal.

Utah Child Support Calculator

One of the most difficult parts of divorce is figuring out the amount of child support one parent should pay the other to help cover the costs of raising the child. Every situation is different and the amount varies accordingly, but it is always nice to have some type of guidance to help make the decision as simple and fair as possible.
Luckily the Utah Department of Human Services has a tool called the Utah Child Support Calculator. This tool is designed to help you determine the amount of child support that should be required to be allocated from one parent to the other. While the calculator should be used merely as a guideline, it will help you get a better understanding of what would be a fair child support amount in any given situation.

THE CALCULATOR

Since the calculator is merely a guideline to be used to figure out a fair child support amount, it is not very long. It consists of 12 relatively simple questions, like mother’s and father’s monthly gross income and the number of children involved in the child support case, to estimate a fair amount. This is basic information that will be needed when it’s time to figure out the actual amount that should be allocated and to whom.

It’s important to remember that every child support case is different and the Utah Child Support Calculator is not 100% accurate but it is an excellent free tool that will help you get an approximate child support amount.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!