American society has made great strides in the last few decades when it comes to acceptance of people once considered to be outside the mainstream. The mere fact that a ballot question on same-sex marriage will be put to the voters of North Carolina, regardless of the outcome, is indicative of the expanding acceptance of people who were once shunned by large sections of the populace.

As more and more same-sex couples have made their relationships official--as legally recognized domestic partners--issues of family law that were once the province of married couples are now coming to the fore for same-sex unmarried couples. In one North Carolina case now in the news, a former state senator is seeking joint custody of her ex-partner's son.

While this in itself is not particularly noteworthy, what makes it unique is that it is the second time the ex-senator has found herself in a similar situation. In 2005, the woman attempted to adopt her former partner's child. In that case, as in this one, the ex-senator's partner was the child's biological mother. Ultimately the North Carolina Supreme Court awarded the ex-senator joint custody, but the adoption was not permitted because the child's biological mother would not relinquish parental rights, and adoption by a same-sex couple was barred by state law.

In the current case, the ex-senator is suing for joint custody of her most recent partner's biological child. While this case has garnered headlines, there are many people in North Carolina with similar issues regarding domestic partnerships and family law. For them, the advice of an experienced family law attorney can be invaluable.

Source: WWAY, "First on 3: Boseman files for joint custody of second ex-partner's son," Feb. 1, 2012