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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Minneapolis/St. Paul area
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    497

    Smile Stepparents Rights

    I saw this on lawguru.com and thought ya'll might find it interesting...

    There is nothing that defines the role of a step parent. However, most courts understand that a step parent also has an important role to play in children's lives. They are not a legal stranger. They may be empowered to act on behalf of the children in the event of an emergency and they are often listed as a secondary contact on school and medical records. Most courts would view that as an appropriate role in the absence of any specific concerns regarding child safety.


    For Minnesota issues visit divorceprofessionals.com

    Maury Beaulier612.240.8005
    Minnesota Lawyers
    5775 Wayzata Blvd., Ste 700
    St. Louis Park, MN 55416

  2. #2

    Default Re: Stepparents Rights

    I would have to agree that step parents are indeed an important part of a child's life. However, to take it as far as 'not a legal stranger' based on the examples given isn't a reasonable conclusion. I, as a daycare provider, had the ability to seek medical treatment for my daycare children, I as an aunt/grandparent/friend was listed as emergency contact, secondary contact on school/medical records. In my role within the community/family, I have been bestowed many rights in the absence of parents, or while the children were in my care (including respite care). Despite my role in caring for and raising many children that were not my own, I doubt that the court would grant me any rights to the children in question.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Toledo, OH
    Posts
    16,307

    Default Re: Stepparents Rights

    I would have to agree that step parents are indeed an important part of a child's life. However, to take it as far as 'not a legal stranger' based on the examples given isn't a reasonable conclusion.
    Concur, Mamabear.

    When I was doing my student teaching, it was drilled pretty heavily into us that while we were to encourage step-parents to do things like come to events/awards assemblies and such, everything else (IEP meetings, disciplinary meetings, conferences) was off limits to them unless the parents - plural - specifically invited them, because the steps were legal strangers.

    Didn't matter that the steps were often listed as secondary or emergency contacts.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Minneapolis/St. Paul area
    Posts
    497

    Default Re: Stepparents Rights

    What I found so interesting about this posting is that Mr. Beaulier is a practicing attorney.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Stepparents Rights

    However, being EMPOWERED TO ACT on their behalf by a legal guardian, particularly in emergency situation, STILL doesn't bestow RIGHTS to step parents in the context that "rights" and "step parents" are typically discussed (ie visitation, child support, etc.).

  6. #6

    Default Re: Stepparents Rights

    As a practicing atty, I would think that he would know better. A statement like that, to an uninformed person desperate to have things go their way might easily misconstrue this to mean that they do indeed have hope. (IE: The right of guardianship while a spouse is deployed, visitation at the end of a long term marriage etc). A current ongoing case up here (MI) may well change the way things are done, opening the door for legal strangers to petition for visitation/custody etc. LRM probably knows what I'm talking about, since I believe she's familiar with the area.

    LRM, I wonder if that is school policy or law (in regards to IEP's, disiplinary meetings etc)? In the three school districts that I'm familiar with up here, it is quite common for a step parent to attend IEP's, and be called for disiplinary (ay yi yi, you have NO clue how many times we shuffled for our two older sons!).

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