Family Law and Relationships

Fertility and Parental Rights

two lesbinas holding a baby they have adopted recently looking tenderly at each othee

Family Law and RelationshipsEngland and Wales

Two parents, one legal question: does the law recognise you both?

For same-sex families, being a parent in everyday life and being recognised as one in law are not always the same thing. The answer can depend on how a child was conceived, whether treatment took place at a licensed clinic and whether the correct legal steps were completed at the right time.

3 September 2026

An image of a couple in a playgound playing with their child on the swings.

Family Law and RelationshipsEngland and Wales

Adopting a child: what the process really involves

Adoption creates a new and permanent legal family, but reaching that point involves preparation, assessment, matching and a court order. Here is how the process works, what it costs and how an adoption changes parental rights.

3 September 2026