The dynamic and ever-evolving legal landscape surrounding LGBTQ+ families and family law presents a series of challenges and legal complications that need to be carefully considered. The below will offer a brief overview of some of the challenges LGBTQ+ families face, and advancements within the family law space that can alter the experiences of LGBTQ+ communities.
The historical legal treatment of LGBTQ+ families
Throughout the decades, LGBTQ+ individuals have had to contend with an ever-changing legal landscape that consequently has huge implications for their lives and the lives of their families. While huge strides have been made, LGBTQ+ individuals have had to hide their queer identities for fear of legal repercussions. Now, LGBTQ+ couples have the same the same rights as heterosexual couples.
Challenges faced by LGBTQ+ families
Unfortunately, there are many challenges that LGBTQ+ families face, even with all of the positive changes to laws surrounding their rights.
LGBTQ+ individuals and families can often feel like the victims of discrimination and unfair bias in family law proceedings. In certain situations, they may not get the same treatment as the more traditional, nuclear heterosexual couples and families.
LGBTQ+ families can also experience issues related to adoption, surrogacy, and parental rights, and may find access to healthcare, education, and other family-related services harder to come by. LGBTQ+ individuals looking to start a family may also encounter higher legal costs when working with a family solicitor, and the path to family expansion as an LGBTQ+ family can be challenging and complex.
However, not all experiences will be negative, and many LGBTQ+ families will be able to pursue their dreams of parenthood without encountering any of the above.
Advocacy and activism
There are many groups and organisations that are fully committed to making change and helping the LGBTQ+ communities and this has been the case for many years. Activists work tirelessly to try and defend the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, and the same applies to LGBTQ+ families.
Organisations are committed to trying and better the experiences of LGBTQ+ as they deal with family law by putting pressure on governments to make advancements that would bring about change and make it just as easy and pain-free for an LGBTQ+ family to deal with legal proceedings as it is for a traditional heterosexual family. There is still a long way to go, but future generations should never have to deal with the complications and struggles LGBTQ+ people have in the past.
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