General legal information furnished as a service of Fort Lauderdale / West Palm Beach family law attorney Janet Langjahr
Once upon a time, non-parents might have visitation or even custody rights, most commonly grandparents.
Then the US Supreme Court ruled that such third party rights trampled the rights of parents, which should be superior - provided the parents are fit parents.
Since then, some states have tried fashioning constitutional statutes granting third parties visitation or custody rights.
The most popular third parties are still grandparents. But there are other beneficiaries as well.
Stepparents. And the gay parent who is not the biological parent.
Utah is one such unlikely state to pass a new law allowing a non-parent to seek visitation or custody rights.
Arguably, in defiance of local court rulings.
Read more in this Salt Lake Tribune article: Measure would boost rights of stepparents.
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