Transgender Family Law Issues

Transgender legal issues are not confined to enrollment in the military, bathroom rights or inclusion or exclusion from governmental senior citizen surveys.  Transgender individuals, like any other Americans, also grapple with family law issues such as custody, name change, spousal or child support and divorce.

When it comes to divorce, Pennsylvania state law sees no difference between a transgender adult or one who still identifies with the gender on their birth and marriage certificates. Yet, traversing divorce law, assuring fair distribution of assets based on Pennsylvania law, and emerging with a new identity can be more difficult for individuals already grappling with intense psychological and biological changes.

At my practice, we strive to see each client as an individual first. The most common service we offer is name change, a process that includes petitioning the court, publishing the intent to change name, and appearing before a judge. Just a year ago, name change accompanying gender identity was a relatively rare occurrence in Bucks and Montgomery counties. Now, judges are routinely petitioned for gender-based name changes.

A name change is typically just the beginning of the process of changing personal records and government identification to reflect a client’s new gender and name. It is not uncommon that divorce, division of marital assets, child custody and support and other issues must be dealt with as well.

I can help with these divorce-related legal issues. Call my office for a free, first consult at 215-345-5259.