Lesbian ex-partners can seek child custody from biological mother: Nebraska high court
Image via Wikipedia An unrelated woman can seek custody rights over an unadopted child if the petitioner once acted as co-parent during a lesbian relationship with the mother, Nebraska ’s high court has ruled. The ruling, issued on Friday, deflected to a lower court the custody dispute between Teri Latham and Susan Schwerdtfeger of Omaha , the latter of whom underwent in vitro fertilization , leading to the birth of a baby boy in January 2001. The couple, who had been together since 1985, split five years later. Latham is arguing that, because she shared the cost in vitro fertilization and continued to make efforts to visit the boy after the split, she should be granted visitation rights . Schwerdtferger argues that Latham did not pay to help support the child, and that the child no longer wishes to have a relationship with Latham. Last year, a district court for Douglas County allowed telephonic visits by Latham, but after hearing further arguments and interviewing Schwerdtfeger’s