Kauffman Law & Mediation

Thank you to Governor Healey and the legislature (which voted UNANIMOUSLY in favor of the MPA!

Governor Healey Signs Parentage Act, Ensuring Equality for All Families in Massachusetts A lock icon ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the official website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Massachusetts House of Representatives has PASSED the MA Parentage Act!!! On to the Senate - please call your senators and encourage them to support the bill. After seven long years, we're almost there!

MA House Passes Parentage Act, Advancing Bill for Senate Approval - GLAD The bill will update Massachusetts' outdated and harmful parentage laws providing protections for LGBTQ+ families

My all-time favorite! Happy Mothers Day! Auto-correct, not surprisingly, won't let me put the apostrophe in the right place!

Michigan has done it, now it's time for Massachusetts to do the same!

Michigan just updated its parentage laws to protect LGBTQ+ families and all families formed through assisted reproduction or surrogacy!

It's time to protect Massachusetts families, too! Take action today to pass the MA Parentage Act: https://www.glad.org/take-action-mpa

Michigan has done it - now it's time for Massachusetts to do the same!!

Michigan just updated its parentage laws to protect LGBTQ+ families and all families formed through assisted reproduction or surrogacy!

It's time to protect Massachusetts families, too! Take action today to pass the MA Parentage Act: https://www.glad.org/take-action-mpa

GBH.org GBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster, producing such award-winning PBS series as Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. GBH productions focusing on the re...

Still so important to protect your parentage!

GBH.org GBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster, producing such award-winning PBS series as Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. GBH productions focusing on the re...

"The issue of the legal parent-child relationship has taken on “increased urgency” for LGBTQ couples since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision a year ago that overturned Roe v Wade, leaving many concerned that established rights such as same-sex marriage are on shaky ground"

‘Like I was a stranger’: What happens when state laws don’t recognize LGBTQ parents A new report shows that nearly half of all states lack clear and equitable ways for LGBTQ couples to establish legal rights as parents.

So humbled to be included in this illustrious list of honorees!

Hall of Fame The Hall of Fame recognizes Massachusetts lawyers age 60 and older or who have been practicing for 30 years or more.

Even though it's hard, it's important to keep moving forward, as NCLR has done in Arizona where we have VICTORY!

We're celebrating a decision from the Arizona Federal Court today blocking enforcement of a law that bars all transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams.

“We are very pleased with the Court’s decision that allows our clients to play on girls’ sports teams while this case proceeds. The Court recognized the law is overbroad and cannot survive constitutional scrutiny. We look forward to securing a permanent ruling.” - Rachel Berg, NCLR Staff Attorney
https://ow.ly/2qSF50PhJGe

Terrible, heartbreaking news from Italy....protect your parentage in every way you can.

Italy Is Removing Le***an Moms' Names From Their Children's Birth Certificates Premier Giorgia Meloni's party, the Brothers of Italy, has roots in the country's neo-fascist movement.

Hear from the experts on how to protect our families - Monday 6/26 at 7 pm

LGBTQ+ Parents Town Hall

One platform to connect | Zoom Modernize workflows with Zoom's trusted collaboration tools: including video meetings, team chat, VoIP phone, webinars, whiteboard, contact center, and events.

What’s really happening to our families….

Movement Advancement Project | Relationships at Risk: Why We Need to Update State Parentage Laws to Protect Children and Families The report details how the current patchwork of parentage laws across the country – many of which haven’t been updated in decades – leaves LGBTQ parents and their children vulnerable.

Yet another case decided against non-biological mother. Guess it can't be said often enough!

"Same-sex couples in Pennsylvania who haven’t, should go through the second parent adoption process as soon as possible."

Pennsylvania Court Denies Nonbio Mom Parentage - Mombian A Pennsylvania court has denied a nonbiological mother parental rights to the child she and her former spouse, the biological mother, had planned and created together. It is the second recent case in the U.S. to do so.

This is why it is so important to do an adoption - being on the birth certificate is NOT ENOUGH!

Oklahoma Grants Parentage to S***m Donor Over Nonbiological Mom - Mombian In a case with horrible implications for LGBTQ families, an Oklahoma judge has ruled that a married, nonbiological mom has no parental rights to the child she and her wife created and were raising together, but the couple's s***m donor does. Here's what happened, and what other same-sex couples need...

Proud to have been selected as one of Boston's Top Lawyers of 2022!

Don't miss this important seminar!!

Donor-Conceived People in LGBTQ Families: Experiences & Legal Landscape - GLAD People born into LGBTQ+ families through donor conception share their experiences and the impact of related laws and policies.

Join me in supporting Family Equality!!

donate.familyequality.org

On the importance of carrying documentation of your relationship with your children when traveling…

Flying Alone With Your Kids? Make Sure You Have Proof of Your Relationship Recent incidents at airports suggest that carrying your child’s birth certificate, passport or other documents will help mitigate alarming, and often time-consuming, incidents in security.

Bottom line: It's up to us to protect our families!

How LGBTQ Parents Can Protect Their Families After Dobbs - Mombian How can LGBTQ families best protect themselves after the Dobbs decision? Polly Crozier, senior staff attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), and Julie Gonen, federal policy director for the National Center for Le***an Rights (NCLR), shared their thoughts with me.

Looking forward to speaking at MCLE about Adoption & Assisted Reproductive Technology Law on 03/03/2022. Hope you can join me!

MCLE | New England: CLE Programs, Webcasts and Publications Adoption & Assisted Reproductive Technology Law Helping clients build families in Massachusetts Product Number: 2220157P01 CLE Credits, earn up to: 3 substantive credits, 0 ethics credits CLE Credit Note Print Brochure Add to Favorites List Remind Me Later ⓘSign up to receive a reminder one week ...

So incredibly proud to congratulate my friend and former law partner, Polly Crozier, on her inclusion in the Top Women of Law 2021 Circle of Excellence!

Honorees

Massachusetts Issues First 3-Parent Birth Certificate Although this first birth certificate is a strong step forward, Massachusetts is overdue for an update to its parentage laws.

And then there's this....

Love, Lawyers & The Government It’s a story every parent has to tell, but for LGBTQ parents, it’s a bit more complicated.The LGBTQ+ community faces legalized discrimination, immense bias, ...

From my brilliant and talented colleague and friend, Cathy Sakimura:
"NCLR works for reproductive justice for all people and families—the right to decide whether or not to have children, the right to be legally-recognized as a family with the right to maintain our family relationships, and the right to a safe environment to raise children."

Celebrating #LGBTQFamiliesDay by Ensuring that Every Family is Protected Protecting families has been a core part of our work at the National Center for Le***an Rights since we started in 1977. We envision a world where all families — no matter how they are formed — are given equal dignity and respect.

The Latest Issue in Divorces: Who Gets the Embryos? Amid the pandemic, I.V.F. rates are on the rise, and so are disputes about what to do with remaining frozen embryos when couples split up. For some, it has gotten messy.

Victory for non-biological mother in Michigan!

MI Court Recognizes Same-Sex Parents Have Parental Rights A Michigan court recognized two unmarried women as parents where one parent is a genetic parent and the other parent gave birth. This is a victory for Same-Sex Parents.