N.Y. Family Court Denied Jurisdiction to Hear Same-Sex Support Issue
Family Court does not have jurisdiction to order a woman with no biological or legal ties to her former same-sex partner's son to pay child support, a New York state appeals panel has ruled. The 3-2 ruling turned on the fact that the only New York proceedings for determining parentage are paternity proceedings, which resolve controversies over the fatherhood of a child. No similar vehicle exists for determining a child's mother and, therefore, for the Family Court to order the woman to pay support, according to the panel.
