Conover v. Conover

Brittany Conover conceived a child through artificial insemination from an anonymous donor. She and Michelle Conover gave birth to a son, Jaxon, and married when Jaxon was about six months old. The next year, the lesbian couple separated. Brittany later sought a divorce, stating that there were no children shared by the couple from the marriage. Michelle requested visitation rights but did not request custody. The circuit court concluded that Michelle did not have standing to contest custody or visitation. The Court of Special Appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the doctrine of de facto parenthood is a viable means to establish standing to contest custody or visitation. Thus, the Court overruled its previous decision in Janice M. v. Margaret K. Remanded to the circuit court for a determination of whether Michelle should be considered a de facto parent. View "Conover v. Conover" on Justia Law