Unmarried with Children: The Complete Guide for Unmarried Families

by Brette Sember

Overview

As unmarried parents, you face many unique legal, financial, and child-rearing challenges that married couples do not. How do I explain this situation to my child? Can I leave the paternity or maternity section blank on a birth certificate? How much do I need to tell my child's teacher? Award-winning author and attorney Brette McWhorter Sember provides real-life scenarios and resources to help guide you through the myriad issues that face unmarried singles and couples today. This first-of-its-kind parenting manual covers these and other important topics, including:

• Custody concerns
• Paternity issues
• Adoption laws
• Children's rights

Unmarried with Children has answers to all your questions that have gone unanswered-until now.

Brette McWhorter Sember, J.D. is an award-winning author, mother of two, former attorney, and freelancer whose writing career began eight years ago when she left her law practice to stay home after the birth of her second child. The recipient of the Mothers at Home 1999 Media Award, she has written more than twenty books, including The Everything Pregnancy over 35 Book, How to Parent with Your Ex, and Gay and Lesbian Parenting Choices. Her freelance work has appeared in more than 130 publications, including American Baby, Child, ePregnancy, Writer's Digest, Personal Journaling, Divorce Magazine, Home Business Journal, Pregnancy and Conceive.

Technical Reviewer:Dr. Phil S. Hall, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and licensed school psychologist, and is the principal author of two nonfiction books on children, Educating Oppositional and Defiant Children and the upcoming Parenting Your Defiant Child. He holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Montana. Dr. Hall currently specializes in working with behaviorally challenged children and adults on American Indian Reservations and for various Plains States school systems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440515224
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	07/01/2008
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	526 KB

About the Author

Brette McWhorter Sember, JD (Clarence, NY), is the author of the children’s book Quiz Book 3: Three Times the Fun. Sember has also taught an online course for Barnes and Noble University called Responsible Credit Card Spending. The mother of two children, Sember is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). A former attorney, she also has had extensive experience working with children in her role as a law guardian in four counties in New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction     ix
Making Decisions That Fit Your Life     1
Parenting Outside Marriage Is Not a Crime     3
Dealing with Traditional Expectations     4
Expectations Are Changing     6
The Legal Rights of Unmarried Mothers     7
Birth Certificates     9
Naming Your Child     10
Paternity     11
Legal Authority Without Paternity     12
Custody     13
Child Support     16
Talking to Your Child about His or Her Parents     19
The Legal Rights of Unmarried Fathers     21
Birth Certificates     23
Your Child's Name     24
Acknowledging Paternity     24
Disputing Paternity     26
Custody     27
Child Support     28
Talking to Your Child about His or Her Parents     31
The Legal Rights of Gay and Lesbian Parents     33
Adopting Together     35
Adopting Separately     36
Custody     39
Child Support     40
Stepparenting     41
Obtaining Custody of Your Child from a Heterosexual Marriage     42
Assisted Conception andSurrogacy     42
Naming Your Child     45
Dealing with Expanded Families     45
The Rights of Children of Unmarried Parents     47
Contact with Both Parents     49
Knowledge about Biological Parents     50
Child Support     50
Legal Representation     51
Benefits If One Parent Is Deceased     52
Inheritance     53
Adoption by Unmarried Parents     55
Your Right to Adopt     57
The Adoption Process     60
What to Expect When Adopting as an Unmarried Couple     70
What to Expect When Adopting Alone     71
Talking to Your Child about Adoption     72
Assisted Conception and Unmarried Parents     73
Your Right to Medical Assistance     75
Types of Assisted Concpetion     76
Unused Embryos     81
Talking to Your Child about Assisted Conception     82
Parents and Partners: Parenting as an Unmarried Couple     85
Parenting in the Same Household     87
Parenting in Separate Households     92
Dealing with Parenting Conflicts     96
Dealing with Instability     98
How to Think about Your Parenting Relationship     99
Parents but Not Partners: Parenting as an Unmarried Non-Romantic Couple     101
Creating a Parenting Relationship     103
Deciding on a Residence for Your Child     105
Parenting in the Same Residence     106
Creating a Parenting Schedule     107
Working Out Problems with Parenting     114
Talking to Your Child about Your Relationship     114
Solo Parenting: Parenting as an Unmarried Single     117
Coping with How You Got Here     119
Organizing Your Life as a Solo Parent     120
Getting Support and Backup     126
Talking to Your Child about Your Family     128
Unmarried Stepparents     131
What Is an Unmarried Stepparent?     133
Introducing a New Partner to Your Child     134
Respecting the Other Parent     135
Names     136
When You Are a Stepparent     136
Legal Authority for a Stepparent     138
Stepsiblings     139
Half Siblings     140
Dealing with Other People     145
Schools     147
Medical Personnel     147
Health Insurance     149
Businesses and Business Entities     151
Friends     153
Introductions     154
Extended Family     155
Planning for the Future     159
Inheritance     161
Benefits     161
Guardianship and Wills     161
Adding Siblings to Your Family     162
Marriage     163
Common-Law Marriage     165
Domestic Partnerships     167
Polyfamilies     168
Ending Your Unmarried Relationship     171
Parenting while Having Relationship Problems     173
Deciding to Break Up     174
Resolving Custody and Visitation     174
Child and Spousal Support     175
Dividing Assets and Debts     176
Mediation     177
Court Alternatives     179
Parenting Apart     181
Helping Your Child after a Breakup     182
Sample Forms     187
Book and Web Resources     191
Index     195