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A Pennsylvania agency and court are currently deciding who controls access to millions of individual vital records – Ancestry.com, or the Commonwealth itself. While the case is ongoing, Rachel Levy covers the dispute so far over ownership of over 45 terabytes of data, involving millions of documents issued by Pennsylvania Vital Records. Read more at the link below.

Fighting Over the Past: Ferretti v. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission | Jerner Law Group, P.C. A Pennsylvania agency and court are currently deciding who controls access to millions of individual vital records – Ancestry.com, or the Commonwealth itself. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) contracted The Generations Network/Ancestry.com (Ancestry) to digitize Pennsylvani...

Happy Pride!! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Earlier this month, five state regulatory boards in Pennsylvania adopted a policy opposing conversion therapy for minors and warning the individuals they license that they may be professionally disciplined for violating the policy. Read more at the link below.

Pennsylvania Strengthens Stance Against Conversion Therapy | Jerner Law Group, P.C. On May 2, 2024, five state regulatory boards in Pennsylvania adopted a policy opposing conversion therapy for minors and warning the individuals they license that they may be professionally disciplined for violating the policy. The Pennsylvania state Boards of Medicine, Psychology, Osteopathic Medic...

On April 16, 2024, the United States Supreme Court allowed a law to go into effect which bans gender-affirming care for all minors in the state of Idaho. The Supreme Court’s disastrous decision and the impact in Idaho and beyond represent a dark reality for transgender and gender non-conforming minors. Read more about it at the link.

U.S. Supreme Court Allows Gender-Affirming Care Ban for Minors to Go Into Effect in Idaho | Jerner Law Group, P.C. On April 16, 2024, the United States Supreme Court allowed a law to go into effect which bans gender-affirming care for all minors in the state of Idaho. The case, Labrador v. Poe,[1] involves HB 71, which was signed into law in Idaho in April of 2023.[2] The “Vulnerable Child Protection Act,” t...

New legislation may help some children and may harm others. See link below for more info.

Kayden’s Law Is Now Pennsylvania Law – For Better Or For Worse | Jerner Law Group, P.C. New legislation may help some children and may harm others. Kayden Mancuso was a seven-year-old girl who was tragically beaten to death in Manayunk by her father, Jeffrey Mancuso, during his court-ordered unsupervised custody time in the summer of 2018; Mr. Mancuso then killed himself. Kayden’s mo...

Congratulations on your engagement! Does a prenuptial agreement make sense for your budding family?

Prenups | Jerner Law Group, P.C. Congratulations on your engagement! Your wedding planning may have left out an important piece of the puzzle for setting yourselves up for a successful marriage - consulting with a family law attorney about whether a prenuptial agreement makes sense for your budding family. A consultation regarding....

Missouri’s divorce law, which allows judges to stop pregnant individuals from divorcing their spouses, went viral online this month, when a democratic state representative introduced legislation to overturn the 1973 law. Read more at the link.

Divorce and Pregnancy | Jerner Law Group, P.C. Missouri’s divorce law, which allows judges to stop pregnant individuals from divorcing their spouses, went viral online this month when a Democratic state representative introduced legislation to overturn the 1973 law. There are similar laws in Arkansas and Texas, where judges frown upon entering...

Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled on February 16, 2024, that microscopic embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are “children” whose life begins at fertilization under the Alabama Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. Read more at the link below.

The Alabama IVF Decision | Jerner Law Group, P.C. The Alabama IVF Decision “We believe that each human being, from the moment of conception, is made in the image of God, created by Him to reflect His likeness.… All three branches of government are subject to a constitutional mandate to treat each unborn human life with reverence. Carving out an...

Learn more about the impressive work of our very own Rebecca Levin Nayak!

LGBTQ+ legal advocate elected to leadership role at Philadelphia Bar Association - Philadelphia Gay News Rebecca Levin Nayak was recently elected chair of the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

They had extra embryos. So they logged on to Facebook. Some families seek to avoid the rigid religious requirements of major embryo donation groups.

The question of what to do with remaining embryos following the completing of building a family through IVF is not always an easy question to answer. This article highlights one option -- embryo donation -- and finding LGBTQ+ inclusive options for donors and recipients.

They had extra embryos. So they logged on to Facebook. Some families seek to avoid the rigid religious requirements of major embryo donation groups.

Sad news from Italy regarding the removal of the names of nonbiological mothers from the birth certificates of their children.

Italy starts removing le***an mothers' names from children's birth certificates | CNN The northern Italian city of Padua has started removing the names of non-biological gay mothers from their children’s birth certificates under new legislation passed by the “traditional family-first” government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

This evening Attorney Nayak will be presenting a conversation about Legal Considerations when forming an LGBTQ+ family. Join us!

Whether you are forming your family through assisted reproduction with the use of donor s***m, traditional surrogacy, gestational surrogacy, intentional co-parenting, or adoption, there are varied legal considerations on the path to parenthood in order to assure that intended parents are also legal parents. (If you are already a parent and have legal questions about step-parent or second parent adoption, please join us!) This program will feature Q&A with PFP board member and family law attorney Rebecca Nayak (she/her) from the Jerner Law Group.

Register here: https://forms.gle/NLWEyV24d3EfSRy89

As dangerously conservative states that have blocked medical care for trans and nonbinary children, some families are relocating their children to Pennsylvania. Read more:

#Relocating Trans and Nonbinary Children to Pennsylvania Relocating Trans and Nonbinary Children to Pennsylvania

The Inquirer discusses the concerns of many LGBTQ individuals and families after Dobbs and how some are turning to confirmatory adoptions and estate planning for legal protections. Jerner Law attorneys Benjamin Jerner and Rebecca Levin Nayak share some of their thoughts in this article.

Philly LGBTQ couples are worried about their rights after Roe fell. So they’re turning to estate planning. Philly-area attorneys specializing in LGBTQ issues say they've seen a surge in families looking to enshrine parental rights, as well as decision-making powers on health and financial matters post-Roe.

In Oklahoma, a judge has ruled that a nonbiological mother who raised her son for two years should be removed from his birth certificate where no adoption was completed. This case is ongoing and serves as an alarming reminder of the vulnerability of LGBTQ-led families and the need to take protective legal measures.

A le***an mom raised her son for two years. An Oklahoma judge erased that in 15 minutes. Kris Williams was removed from her son’s birth certificate in a case experts say could test the boundaries of marriage equality.

Please join us in welcoming Jeniffer Dumin to the Jerner Law Group P.C.
https://www.jernerlaw.com/attorney-jennifer-dumin-joins-jerner-law-group-p-c/https://www.jernerlaw.com/attorney-jennifer-dumin-joins-jerner-law-group-p-c/

So happy to share this beautiful profile of our clients who welcomed their baby yesterday!

South Jersey mom carries holiday miracle baby for Pa. couple "Your bun, my oven!" Victoria Spulock will soon deliver a baby who has no DNA of her own.

Applying for dual citizenship? You may be shocked to learn that if you need to correct a spelling error on a dead ancestor's birth certificate or death record, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires a court order!
Fortunately, the attorneys at Jerner Law Group have experience amending records for the express purpose of assisting clients who are seeking dual citizenship.

Applying for Dual Citizenship? You May Need to Amend Your Ancestors’ Records | Jerner Law Group, P.C. Your great-grandfather immigrated from a small village in Italy to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the turn of the century. Neither he nor your great-grandmother could read or write in English. When your grandfather was born, your great-grandparents signed the birth certificate even though it was rid...

A spelling error on your grandfather’s Pennsylvania birth certificate may require you to petition the court for an order before you can move forward in obtaining citizenship abroad. can help you obtain a court order.

The United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation. This is a HUGE milestone!

United States issues its 1st passport with 'X' gender marker DENVER (AP) — The United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation, marking a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who do not identify as male or female, and expects to be able to offer the option more broadly next year, the State Department said Wedne...

Join Philadelphia Family Pride. Registration at PFPconference.org

Pronouns in the news

Opinion | Up in Arms Over a Pronoun Readers argue against the usage of the gender-neutral “they,” but I’m not convinced.

Yet another surrogacy case that could have been avoided with the involvement of knowing lawyers and proper legislation.

A woman agreed to have a baby for a Facebook friend through Messenger. Now, they’re locked in a custody war. The case, identified in court records as "Guardianship of Keanu," has baffled Massachusetts appeals court judges, who admonished both parties for their unconventional and lackadaisical arrangement to conceive a child.

The Justice Department is seeking a permanent injunction against the Texas law banning abortions after about six weeks, before most people realize they are pregnant.

Justice Department Sues Texas Over New Abortion Ban Attorney General Merrick Garland called the Texas law a "statutory scheme" that violates Supreme Court precedent.

There is no consensus as to how the Texas abortion law will effect Intended Parents and/or Gestational Carriers in Texas. Jerner Law attorneys are closely monitoring the implementation of this abhorrently restrictive policy and its effect on the surrogacy world.

Texas law banning abortion as early as six weeks goes into effect as the U.S. Supreme Court takes no action One abortion provider said it was “engulfed” in treating more than 100 patients at one clinic before the law took effect Wednesday.

Pennsylvania & New Jersey have some catching up to do!

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.