LGBTQ+ Law

Westchester County LGBTQ+ Law Attorney

Meeting the Community’s Unique Legal Needs

As an out member of the LGBTQ+ community, lawyer Christine Klein has unique insight into the legal needs of people who come to her for counsel regarding family law and other legal matters. She has been practicing law in the New York area for more than 25 years and has a personal understanding of the struggles that members of the community face. She understands your family and your needs.

The Law Offices of Christine J. Klein, P.C., handles issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community, including:

Adoption and reproductive law: We help you make your dreams of beginning a family a reality. Whether you are looking to adopt a child or conceive one through donor sperm, eggs and/or surrogacy, our law office can help you navigate the legal challenges. Should you use a known donor or an anonymous donor? What rights does a non-biological parent have if you haven’t completed a second-parent adoption? Our firm handles second-parent and stepparent adoptions, private placement, foster care and agency adoptions. We can help you complete your family.

Estate planning: Careful estate planning in the LGBTQ+ community is especially important because the law does not yet automatically protect your loved ones. Preparing a will, trust, health care proxy, living will or power of attorney will give your loved ones peace of mind. Our law office understands nontraditional family structures and will take extra care to be certain that the people you love are provided for when you are gone.

Family law: We work to help our LGBTQ+ clients resolve legal matters related to domestic partnership agreements, civil unions, family contracts, divorce, child custody, child support and division of debts and assets. We can also assist you if you would like to legally change your name or gender on your birth certificate.

Divorce and dissolution of civil unions: Along with the legalization of same-sex marriage and civil unions, sometimes comes gay divorce. Christine Klein has a particular sensitivity to the issues facing gay and lesbian couples who now find themselves in the divorce process. We can help you deal with issues like equitable distribution, child custody and support.

Prenuptial, Postnuptial and cohabitation agreements: LGBTQ+ couples are often established in their careers and lives before they choose to marry or partner permanently. You likely have savings, investments, pensions, a 401(k) and even a house. Understand the law and know your rights, which may change if you relocate. We can help protect you and your partner by reaching an agreement when you are both in love and want to be fair to each other.

Name Change & Gender Marker Change Attorney: Everyone is entitled to the dignity and respect of being identified by the name they choose and the gender that accurately reflects who they are. Having one’s driver’s license, passport and birth certificate match the person you are is not only self-affirming, but can also be critical as a matter of safety. Christine Klein works with both minors and adults to navigate the legal process of changing one’s name and gender marker on identification and records. While the process has been simplified with the enactment of the Gender Recognition Act, it can still be daunting to most. Let us help you take this life affirming step and legally change your name or gender marker.

Orders of Parentage v. Second Parent Adoption: Before 2020, same-sex couples who wanted to protect and secure the parental relationship of the non-biological parent had only one option, a second-parent adoption. Since the introduction of the Parent Child Security Act in 2020, however, New Yorkers now have a second choice, to seek an Order of Parentage.

Second parent adoption and orders of parentage under the Parent Child Security Act (PCSA) in New York each serve to establish legal parental rights, but they differ in their processes and implications. Second parent adoption is a legal procedure that allows a non-biological parent-often in same-sex couples or blended families-to adopt their partner’s child, thereby gaining full legal rights and responsibilities, including custody and inheritance rights. This process requires a court hearing and can involve a more extensive legal evaluation. In contrast, orders of parentage under the PCSA are designed to simplify the legal recognition of parent-child relationships, particularly for non-biological parents, without the need for adoption. This pathway allows parents to establish their rights more efficiently, ensuring access to vital benefits and responsibilities while affirming their role in the child’s life. Both options are essential for ensuring legal protections, but the choice between them often depends on individual family dynamics and specific legal needs. Christine Klein can help you understand the difference in the process, protections and implications of each, so that you can choose the option that best suits your family.

White Plains Second-Parent Adoption Attorney

Christine Klein is a strong advocate of second-parent and stepparent adoptions to protect your family. All too often, our law firm answers fearful questions from parents facing a breakup who never adopted a child conceived and raised with a partner.

A second-parent adoption ensures that your family is equal to any other family out there. It gives the non-biological parent all the rights and responsibilities of any other parent. If the couple breaks up, custody and child support issues will be determined by the same rules that apply to all parents. If one partner dies, the other parent will retain custody of the child(ren). As part of the adoption process, the donor or surrogate signs his or her consent and surrenders any legal rights.

Many couples wonder if they still need a stepparent adoption if they are legally married. The answer is YES. The child may have been conceived before the marriage took place. Other states, the military and the federal government may not recognize your status as a parent even if you are on the birth certificate. But if you have an order of adoption, that has to be given full faith and credit by every state in the U.S.

Our office has helped many LGBTQ+ families protect their children by completing both second-parent and stepparent adoptions. Christine Klein will walk you through the process, prepare and submit the necessary documentation and be at your side in court.

For more detailed information on second-parent adoptions, see this article written by Christine Klein.

Call Westchester County LGBTQ+ Law Attorney

For members of the LGBTQ+ community, unfamiliarity with the legal system and the highly personal nature of these cases can make contacting an attorney difficult. We take the time to make sure you know your legal options and understand the impact of each decision.

From our office in Pleasantville, we represent clients throughout New York, including New York City, Nyack, New City, White Plains and other parts of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange counties.

To schedule an appointment with an experienced attorney, contact us by filling out the form on this website or call (914) 449-6749.