Montgomery County Lawyer Handling LGBT Legal Matters
Free consultations for all LGBT matters
At The Law Office of David C. Berman, we understand how important it is to define your relationship for medical and financial purposes. We use certain legal instruments to define relationships and create legal rights between partners. We also provide advice and representation to clients who are ready to start planning to add children to their family through assisted reproduction or adoption. Contact us to start building your future together.
Put Your Case in the Hands of Someone Who Understands
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, LGBT law attorney David C. Berman is very involved in his community and understands the social and legal challenges you face every day. As an adoptive parent, he knows some of the challenges same-sex parents face in order to secure legal rights to their children. Don't turn to just any lawyer; put your case in the hands of someone who understands.
Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
Do you want to be able to direct medical care for your partner if he or she is in the hospital and unable to communicate? Do you want to ensure that your partner inherits your major assets if you should pass away? We help committed same-sex partners solidify their relationships through estate planning documents such as:
- Wills: We help clients write wills that specify what property their partners should receive when they pass away.
- Advance medical directives: Advance directives allow you to designate your partner to make medical decisions for you when you are unable to do so yourself. They also allow you to make end-of-life decisions now.
- Powers of attorney: Powers of attorney can give your partner authority to perform certain acts on your behalf, such as handling financial transactions and medical decisions.
- Joint titling of assets: This can serve as a valuable tool to ensure that major assets remain the property of your partner if you should pass away.
Planning for All Possibilities
Few couples want to think about ending their relationship, especially when things are going well now and you plan to stay together. However, same-sex couples, who do not have the ability to marry in Pennsylvania, may have to consider the division of their assets if their relationships should end. A large body of law and a court system is available to help married couples through divorce. This legal system is not automatically accessible to same-sex couples who are separating. Same-sex couples have the option of proactively planning for the unthinkable breakup in order to secure property rights.
At our law office, we counsel clients on forming agreements very similar to prenuptial agreements. Now is the time to decide how your property should be divided if your relationship ends. We will review with you your full range of options and available methods of legal protection.
We understand that many couples do not want to contemplate ending their relationship and allocating assets unless they are in the process of separating. Therefore, we are able also to help clients negotiate the division of their assets at the time the relationship ends.
Assisted Reproduction and Adoption
Are you ready to start a family? Whether you are considering assisted reproduction or a same-sex couple adoption, this is an exciting time. We can help you ensure that your children are legally yours through:
- Co-parenting agreements: A co-parenting agreement allows you and your partner to document your intent to be the parents of your child. This creates evidence that both partners intend to become parents when setting out to have a child. This evidence can serve as protection to a partner after the birth or adoption of a child and prior to the completion of a second-parent adoption.
- Assisted reproduction: We help clients draft legal documents pertaining to sperm and egg donations as well as surrogacy contracts and other assisted reproduction technology (ART) documents.
- Second-parent adoption: You and your partner should both be legal parents to your children, which is permitted under Pennsylvania law. We are experienced in this legal process, which can add a layer of protection and security to your family.
Contact a Pennsylvania LGBT Law Attorney
We are dedicated to helping LGBT individuals and couples safeguard their legal rights in Pennsylvania. Contact our law office by calling 215.540.5857. We offer free consultations for all LGBT matters.
